Sporting ‘forced’ into market amid first-choice keeper doubts | OneFootball

Sporting is expected to go to the market for a new midfielder, Leonino has learned. The injury sustained by Hidemasa Morita against Nacional, in the third round of Liga Portugal Betclic, has caused some concern within the club’s structure. As our newspaper reports in this Exclusive, Sporting may move for an option for the position before the end of the transfer window.

Morita spent much of last season struggling with physical problems, leaving Sporting’s midfield depleted for several matches. He returned this season and regained his starting spot under Rui Borges, but was injured again against Nacional and is not expected to be available for Sporting’s upcoming games.

This absence, as well as the repeated physical issues of the Japanese international, have set off alarm bells at Alvalade. Sporting wants to avoid the injury problems they faced last season, and Frederico Varandas is even considering going to the market to bring in another midfielder for Rui Borges’ squad.

In this sense, Sporting is already studying the market and sounding out possible targets to strengthen the midfield. This move would also anticipate a need the green and whites are expected to face next year, since Morita’s contract ends in the summer of 2026, which will leave Sporting needing to sign a midfielder, just as happened in the current transfer window.

Without Morita, Sporting is left with only Morten Hjulmand, Kochorashvili, and João Simões as options for midfield, to which Pedro Gonçalves could be added if Rui Borges decides to adapt the star, who has been playing as a winger. It should be recalled that, as our newspaper previously revealed in an Exclusive, the young Portuguese midfielder has been losing his place in the team, another reason that could force the green and white management to move into the market before the end of August.

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