Rui Borges has a new winger to assess in Sporting's pre-season | OneFootball

Mauro Couto has gained important points in recent weeks and heads into Sporting’s pre-season with the chance to impress Rui Borges. After standing out for Portugal’s under-20 national team at the Toulon Tournament, the winger is part of the group of youngsters who will be closely watched by the Sporting coach during preparations for the 2026/27 season.

Called up at the last minute to replace Mateus Mané in Portugal’s squad, the player ended up being one of the standout performers of the competition. As well as helping Portugal win the trophy, he shone with a memorable display against Canada, a match in which he scored one goal and provided three assists, earning the award for the best assist of the tournament.

At the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy since 2023, Mauro Couto - whose renewal is currently stalled - initially arrived on loan from Paços de Ferreira, but quickly convinced Sporting’s decision-makers to move for a permanent transfer in a deal worth around €650,000. Since then, the winger has developed consistently, establishing himself as one of the standout players in the B team.

The Portugal under-20 international finished last season with 30 appearances for the Lions’ reserve side, contributing two goals and three assists. He also already has experience with the first team, where he has made two official appearances. His debut came under João Pereira, in the win over Santa Clara in the Portuguese Cup.

Capable of playing on both flanks, Mauro Couto fits the profile of player that Sporting is looking to develop in-house. His pace, technical ability and attacking versatility are qualities valued by the Sporting structure, especially at a time when the club remains active in the market to strengthen the wide areas.

Now, the next step is to convince Rui Borges during pre-season training. The training camp in Lagos will be decisive in defining the immediate future of the ‘number 78’, who is looking to follow a similar path to other Academy youngsters who train regularly with the first team while continuing to compete for the B team.

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