Leonino exclusive, Vitória de Guimarães man on Sporting's radar | OneFootball

Sporting have Santiago Verdi on their radar and have been closely monitoring the development of the 18-year-old Vitória de Guimarães midfielder, Leonino has learned. The player, who stood out over the course of last season, has been leaving a positive impression on the Alvalade club’s decision-makers, who remain interested in seeing how he may develop in the near future.

According to what our newspaper has found out, the footballer’s recent contract renewal with the Guimarães club, until 2031, has nevertheless prevented an immediate move for the Portugal under-19 international. The new deal strengthened Vitória’s position and made any approach at this stage more difficult.

The interest comes after a season in which the player managed to catch the eye and establish himself as one of the youngsters to watch. His performances pleased Sporting’s structure, which gathered positive information about the defensive midfielder’s characteristics and potential.

For now, there has been no concrete progress between the parties, but the situation could change depending on the player’s development and his role in Vitória’s first team. The renewal did not erase the interest sparked by what had been observed.

In the 2025/26 season, Santiago Verdi played for the under-19s and the B team, making 17 appearances, scoring two goals and providing one assist for the reserve side. In 2026/27, he was integrated into the first team coached by Tiago Margarido. As for the Lions, they could do no better than a draw against Estrela da Amadora (2-2).

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