FC Porto face stiff competition after Yirenkyi shines at Club World Cup | OneFootball

The World Cup continues to be a major showcase for any young player called up to his national team, and Caleb Yirenkyi is no exception. After scoring the goal that secured Ghana’s win over Panama in the opening matchday, the player’s name began circulating among European clubs, with FC Porto already keeping a close eye on him.

The young Nordsjaelland prospect took advantage of a pass from Brandon Thomas-Asante in the 90+5th minute to secure all three points for the team coached by Carlos Queiroz and spark the interest of Europe’s top clubs.

FC Porto may have to speed up a decision on the 18-year-old midfielder, given the profile he has gained after this decisive strike and the fact that he showed the ability to control the midfield and make the difference in the most pressured moments.

In this opening match for Ghana and Panama, Yirenkyi recorded 97% passing accuracy, missing just one pass in the entire game, in addition to three successful dribbles and nine ball recoveries, while covering a total of 12 kilometres over the 90 minutes.

It is worth noting that FC Porto had already tried to sign the midfielder for €20 million in an attempt to secure him before the 2026 World Cup, but Nordsjaelland did not back down from their €30 million valuation, an amount that would represent a record for the Danish Superliga.

Premier League clubs had also already made offers in the region of €18 million, rejected in the last January transfer window, and more recently, Real Madrid may also be monitoring his performances. According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, Michael Essien, a former player under José Mourinho, is said to have drawn the Portuguese coach’s attention to the young standout.

Carlos Queiroz spares no praise for the midfielder

Caleb Yirenkyi is part of Ghana’s squad for the 2026 World Cup and could fill one of the midfield spots in the team led by Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz.

“He is a player with a great future, still young, with many things to learn, because at this level everything has evolved so quickly that players need to have talent and also experience,” said the former Portugal manager before the 2026 World Cup debut.

However, the Portuguese coach went even further and predicted a very promising future for Caleb Yirenkyi, assuring that he has what it takes to establish himself as one of the best players in the Ghana national team.

“I believe that this young player, with more games under his belt and more experience, can become one of the best players in the Ghana national team,” he concluded.

Playing for Nordsjaelland in Denmark, the Bechem-born player, born in January 2006, made 34 appearances this season, with six assists and two goals in all competitions.

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