Filipe Martins says one Sporting player reminds him of João Cancelo | OneFootball

Filipe Martins does not hide his admiration for Diogo Travassos and even goes as far as comparing the young winger to João Cancelo. The coach, who gave the player his top-flight debut while at Estrela da Amadora, believes the full-back - who will return to Sporting - has everything needed to establish himself at Alvalade.

“Because of his versatility and attacking ability, I compare him a lot to João Cancelo. Cancelo may be technically better, but Diogo can even be more intense at certain moments of the game,” he said in remarks to the newspaper 'Record'.

The coach highlighted the qualities that make the under-21 international a different kind of player, stressing his tactical intelligence and versatility: “Diogo is a very competitive kid, with a huge desire to succeed in professional football. He is two-footed, plays well with both feet and can play both as a full-back and as a winger, on either side. He has a very deep understanding of the game, and you can clearly see the training he had at Sporting.”

Filipe Martins believes the player is ready to fight for a place in Sporting’s main squad: “These seasons away from Sporting were very important for his development. Today I see a more mature and prepared player. If he gets opportunities in pre-season, I believe he will take them and establish himself for good".

The former tricolours coach also recalled that João Cancelo needed time to reach the top of European football: “When he was Diogo’s age, Cancelo also raised some doubts and ended up establishing himself at the best teams in the world. It will not be easy to reach that level, but anything can happen and I hope Diogo can do it without needing to leave Portugal,” he concluded.

This season, Diogo Travassos - valued at 4 million euros - was loaned out by Sporting in order to gain more competitive rhythm. At Moreira de Cónegos, he has already made 28 appearances, playing 2,348 minutes, in which he has recorded five goals and three assists.

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