Sporting land Zekri for less than expected | OneFootball

Moncef Zekri is set to be officially announced as Sporting’s ninth signing for 2026/27.The 17-year-old left-back is already in Lisbon since Sunday and will sign a contract valid for five seasons, until June 2031.

According to the newspaper A Bola, the Lions reached an agreement with Mechelen for a fixed fee of 3 million euros, with bonuses that may be added depending on objectives. The amount is below the 4 million initially reported, and the official announcement could come as early as this Tuesday, after the medical examinations and remaining formalities are completed.

The young Morocco international arrives to fill the spot left by Ricardo Mangas, who has since been loaned to Monza, and will be the immediate alternative to Maxi Araújo on the left flank. The move, however, is also being made with the future in mind, as Sporting want to prepare Moncef Zekri to take on a bigger role next season should the Uruguayan leave.

Born in Brussels and developed at Mechelen, Zekri stood out last season, when he made 17 appearances for the first team. The youngster, who turns 18 on September 20, also won the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco and had already started the current season as a starter for the Belgian side before the move to Alvalade began to take shape.

If he confirms the potential identified by the Leonine structure, Sporting Sporting believe Zekri could also bring significant financial return in the future. The full-back is expected to be protected by an 80 million euro release clause.

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