Tomás Handel snubs Sporting, gets call-up from another national team | OneFootball

Tomás Handel may be about to give up the Portuguese national team to represent Austria. The now Red Star Belgrade footballer, who was linked with a move to Sporting this summer, could even be called up for the next matches if he accepts the invitation.

The midfielder was approached by a member of the Austrian national team’s technical staff and is currently considering the situation, with the process already underway. The player’s connection to Austria goes back to his great-great-grandmother, who was from that country and married a Portuguese man.

Furthermore, the 24-year-old footballer was contacted by Sebastian Prodl, assistant coach to Ralf Rangnick, the Austrian national team manager, this Wednesday and is analyzing the proposal, leaning towards accepting it. His teammate, Austrian Marko Arnautovic, has also been trying to convince him.

Thus, Tomás Handel could already be called up in the next international window in October, for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In fact, one of his main goals is to take part in the tournament, which will take place in the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.

The athlete – valued at 10 million euros – was one of the most influential players at Vitória de Guimarães and one of the most sought-after athletes on the market. The player moved to the Belgrade giant for around 3 million euros. For the Serbian club, the midfielder has three appearances and one goal to his name.

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