Official! Zekri joins Sporting until 2029 with huge release clause (video) | OneFootball

Moncef Zekri is now officially a Sporting player. The 17-year-old Moroccan left-back has become the green-and-whites’ ninth signing for 2026/27 and has signed a contract valid for three seasons, until June 2029, as well as having a release clause of 80 million euros.

The initial length of the deal is related to the fact that the player is still a minor. When he turns 18 on September 20, Moncef Zekri will extend the contract by a further two seasons, keeping him tied to the green-and-whites until 2031. Sporting will pay Mechelen a fixed 3 million euros, plus bonuses.

The youngster arrived in Lisbon on Sunday, underwent the usual medical tests on Monday, and then completed all the necessary procedures before the deal was made official. Zekri arrives to fill the gap left by Ricardo Mangas and will, in an initial phase, be the main alternative to Maxi Araújo on the left flank.

The signing is also seen as one for the future. Sporting want to give the young Moroccan international time to grow during this season and prepare him to take on a bigger role further down the line, especially given the possibility of Maxi Araújo leaving Alvalade in the future.

Developed at Mechelen, Zekri made 17 appearances for the first team last season and has already won the U-17 AFCON with Morocco. Born in Brussels, he made his senior debut in May 2025 and started the current season in the lineup against Gent, before being left out of the following matches with the move to Sporting already underway.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.