After tough start at Sporting, Rui Borges changes approach with Faye | OneFootball

In the winter transfer window, Sporting secured the signings of Luís Guilherme and Souleymane Faye. While the Brazilian established himself almost immediately, the integration of the Senegalese international has been more gradual. Even so, the signs he showed against Moreirense, in the roughly 15 minutes he was on the pitch, were encouraging.

Unlike Luís Guilherme, who arrived at the Academy in the first days of 2026, the negotiation process for Faye proved to be more complex. Granada, owned by a Chinese investor, required a series of additional procedures: translations, time zone differences, and disagreements over commissions between intermediaries delayed the conclusion of the deal. The player bid farewell to the Spanish fans on January 11, but only landed in Lisbon on the 18th.

Integrated during a particularly demanding phase of the calendar—marked by the last two rounds of the Champions League, which ended with victories against PSG (2-1) and Athletic Bilbao (3-2)—Faye had little time to assimilate the processes of the Sporting model. In Granada, he played in a more direct 4-3-3, with wingers focused on reaching the byline; at Alvalade, the football is more supported and positional. With matches every three days, Rui Borges had virtually no training sessions to accelerate his adaptation.

The situation worsened with a wave of injuries that hit the Sporting squad. With Fotis Ioannidis unavailable since the Allianz Cup semi-final, played on January 6, the coach even tested Faye in a more central position, as a mobile forward. The experiment did not produce the desired effects. Against Famalicão, deprived of the suspended Luis Suárez and the Greek, Rui Borges even opted to adapt Pedro Gonçalves to the number 9 position.

With the schedule more stabilized, the Senegalese reinforcement began to show progress. Against Moreirense, he came on in the 78th minute to replace Geny Catamo and left a good impression. He stood out with a recovery in the offensive midfield that resulted in a breakthrough pass to Ioannidis, a move that forced goalkeeper André Ferreira into a decisive intervention. Beyond that moment, the coaching staff especially valued the player's movement and tactical awareness, which have already earned him praise from Rui Borges.

At 23 years old, Faye is preparing to attack the decisive phase of the season without the pressure of immediate results, seeking to gradually establish himself as an option. The new number 15, like Luís Guilherme, was signed from a strategic perspective, with a view to replacing Geovany Quenda, who has already been sold to Chelsea for 52.1 million euros.

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