Rui Borges handed major boost at Sporting for 2026/27: 44 goals | OneFootball

Sporting are already preparing for a scenario that could involve the departures of Pedro Gonçalves and Francisco Trincão and, in that sense, the midfield signings bring an argument Rui Borges particularly likes: goals. Rodrigo Zalazar, Pedro Lima, Issa Doumbia and Silas Andersen combined for 44 goals last season, numbers that help offset a possible loss of attacking power.

The biggest contribution came from Rodrigo Zalazar. Signed to be one of the team’s main creative references, the Uruguay international ended the season with 23 goals, more than half of the total recorded by the four signings. Even so, Sporting’s decision-makers especially value the ability of the other midfielders to show up in finishing areas, despite playing in deeper roles on the pitch.

Issa Doumbia was one of the clearest examples. The Italian midfielder scored 10 goals in 38 matches for Venezia and played a decisive role in the club’s promotion to the top tier of Italian football. The final stretch of the season was particularly positive, with four goals in the last 10 matches and two in the final five. Sporting’s new signing even said goodbye to the Italian club by scoring in the win over Palermo.

Pedro Lima followed a similar trend. The Brazilian, signed from AVS SAD, scored six goals over the course of the season, and half of them came in the final five rounds. One of those goals came precisely against Sporting, from the penalty spot, in a match that ended in a draw.

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