Find out how Sporting nicked Issa Doumbia from Benfica | OneFootball

Issa Doumbia was one of the big revelations of Sporting’s pre-season. With two goals, an assist and performances marked by real personality, the 22-year-old midfielder reinforced the belief among the club’s decision-makers that he could be one of the standout players in the league.

According to newspaper A Bola, the signing began to be prepared in April, when Flávio Costa, a member of Sporting’s green-and-white scouting department, flagged the performances of the Italy Under-21 international at Venezia. With the exception of Rodrigo Zalazar, whose process was already underway as it was a domestic-market operation, Doumbia was the first international target pursued in a determined way by the SAD.

The reports highlighted his ability to win back possession in advanced areas, carry the ball over distance and speed up attacking transitions. With Hidemasa Morita’s departure expected, Rui Borges wanted a number 8 with a different profile: more mobile, physically dominant, aggressive in the press and capable of creating breaks in the opposition’s lines.

Benfica also identified Doumbia and gathered positive information, but the presence of several options in midfield led the Eagles to delay a decision. Sporting, who had already shown interest, took advantage of their rival’s hesitation to move quickly and prevent a bidding war for the player from starting.

The first few weeks at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy confirmed the indications gathered by the scouting department. Issa Doumbia ended the warm-up matches with two goals and one assist.

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