Sporting begin hunt for left-back, several changes on the cards | OneFootball

Sporting are already working on building their squad for 2026/27 and, besides reinforcements for midfield and attack — such as Issa Doumbia, Yeremay Hernández and Sergi Altimira — there is one position gaining increasing importance: left-back.

At the moment, Maxi Araújo is the undisputed first choice, but he is also one of the squad’s most highly valued assets, with strong interest from the market. Even if the board led by Frederico Varandas tries to resist a potential sale, there is an internal sense that the Uruguayan lacks direct competition.

The current alternatives are not entirely convincing. Ricardo Mangas, signed from Spartak Moscow for a relatively low fee, has fallen short of expectations and could leave, opening up space in the squad. Nuno Santos, meanwhile, remains in the plans, but he is entering the final year of his contract (until 2027), which also raises doubts about his future.

Given this scenario, the club’s hierarchy and Rui Borges want to strengthen the left flank with a stronger option capable of competing directly with Maxi Araújo. The idea is not only to ensure greater defensive depth, but also to offer more attacking solutions on that side, where Pedro Gonçalves still has no serious competition despite the arrival of Souleymane Faye.

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