Sporting reportedly reject bids for five of Rui Borges's players | OneFootball

Sporting entered this transfer window prepared to carry out a major overhaul of the squad, but one principle had been clear from the start: some of the main pillars had to stay. Iván Fresneda, Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo, Geny Catamo and Luis Suárez were part of that group and, despite several approaches, all remained at Alvalade.

Suárez’s case was one of those that generated the most noise. Hakan Safi, then a candidate for the Fenerbahçe presidency, even announced a verbal agreement with the Colombian, but ended up losing the election. Frederico Varandas always kept the bar at the €80 million release clause and, despite the contacts made by the striker’s agent, no concrete offer ever arrived.

Maxi Araújo also attracted strong interest after a high-level season and an impressive World Cup. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Juventus were keeping an eye on the Uruguayan, but Sporting moved quickly and renewed his contract until 2030, along with a salary increase. Geny Catamo, meanwhile, saw Sunderland come forward with €30 million plus €10 million in add-ons, an offer that was immediately rejected.

Fresneda was also on Roma’s radar, but the figures put on the table were far below what the SAD considered enough to open negotiations. Gonçalo Inácio was repeatedly linked with Ruben Amorim’s Milan, although the alleged interest never turned into a formal offer for the Lions’ captain.

So, even after the departures of figures such as Morten Hjulmand, Pedro Gonçalves, Daniel Bragança and Francisco Trincão, Sporting managed to keep a core considered fundamental for Rui Borges. The quintet are expected to continue wearing the lion on their chest at least for this season, although at Alvalade there is an awareness that keeping Maxi Araújo beyond June 2027 will be a particularly difficult mission.

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