Champions League forces Sporting to put signings on hold | OneFootball

Sporting have decided to temporarily slow down their remaining transfer-market dealings after completing the signing of Rodrigo Zalazar. The Lions’ SAD intends to wait for the outcome of the final round of the Liga Portugal Betclic to define the next steps in building the squad for 2026/27.

At Alvalade, direct qualification for the Champions League is seen as decisive in financially unlocking some priority deals, especially those involving Pedro Lima and Issa Doumbia. If the Lions beat Gil Vicente - or match Benfica’s result - they will secure second place and the resulting entry into UEFA’s lucrative competition.

Zalazar’s signing ended up being handled as a matter of urgency by the structure led by Frederico Varandas. Sporting’s officials were aware of Benfica’s interest in the Braga midfielder and chose to speed up the process to avoid losing the Uruguay international to their direct rivals.

Despite the ambition to strengthen Rui Borges’ squad with a view to fighting for the national title, Sporting remain determined to maintain financial balance in their transfer dealings. In that sense, the Lions are proceeding cautiously in negotiations for Pedro Lima and Issa Doumbia.

, in an operation considered financially affordable and already under the control of the green-and-white SAD. Even so, Sporting’s officials prefer to wait until the end of the championship before definitively closing the deal.

More complex is expected to be the process involving Issa Doumbia. The 22-year-old midfielder, currently at Venezia, is also attracting interest from Benfica, with the Italian club pointing to figures in the region of 15 million euros. At Alvalade, they believe direct entry into the Champions League could be decisive in gaining strength in negotiations.

all of Sporting’s attention is focused on the clash against Gil Vicente, a match that could define much of the Lions’ financial and sporting future for next season.

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