Striker who stunned Porto with Arouca admits Sporting interest | OneFootball

The Sporting tried to sign Cristo González from Arouca. The forward shone for the Beirões - scoring goals in the draw (1-1) and victory (3-2) against Porto - lavishing praise on the Lions while playing in Portugal. Now in Qatar, the Spaniard explained the reasons why he did not join the squad then managed by Ruben Amorim.

"I was waiting for Sporting, but they needed a player to leave for me to join. I really liked that option, but it didn't materialize. The market closed in Europe, but it was open in Qatar and Al Sadd had also been following me throughout the summer. Everything happened very quickly", he said to Marca newspaper.

Before heading to Qatar, Cristo informed his close circle: "I spoke with my family and told them that this opportunity had arisen and that I was thinking of taking it. Besides having my life sorted, it's a competitive league and another market to showcase yourself, which is also nice".

"It's the year I remember most fondly. I joined a club I didn't want to, because it was a team with little name, but if I hadn't gone, I don't know what would have happened. I arrived and was welcomed phenomenally. It was a very family-oriented club, without pressure and that was what I needed", he explained, about his time in Arouca.

This season, wearing the Umm Salal jersey, on loan from Al Sadd, Cristo González - valued at 5 million euros - played a total of 419 minutes in seven games, in which he scored two goals. In 2023/24, for Arouca, the Spanish forward scored 18 times in 42 matches, also assisting teammates on 10 occasions.

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