Former Sporting Lisbon academy coach Fabio Roque has shared his thoughts on Chelsea’s new signing, Geovany Quenda, and how he compares to other young talents.

Chelsea recently secured the surprise signing of the 17-year-old winger in a deal worth around £40 million. Quenda will remain at Sporting until the summer of 2026 before joining his new teammates at Chelsea’s Cobham training facility.

Regarded as one of the top young prospects in world football, Quenda joins Estevão Willian and Kendry Páez as part of Chelsea’s highly rated under-18 talents. While he is capable of playing on both wings, Chelsea is expected to deploy him primarily on the left flank. The club reportedly acted swiftly to beat Manchester United and Bayern Munich to his signature.

One key factor in Quenda’s decision to join Chelsea over Manchester United was the opportunity to play as a winger rather than a wing-back—a role he might have been assigned under Ruben Amorim.

Roque, who previously coached at Sporting’s academy, has compared Quenda’s playing style to that of Rafael Leão and has offered insights into how the young winger differs from other rising stars like Lamine Yamal.

He highlighted Quenda’s explosive pace, dribbling ability, and direct style of play as key strengths. Roque also noted that while Yamal is more of a playmaker, Quenda thrives in one-on-one situations and driving toward goal. Chelsea fans will be eager to see how the young talent develops once he arrives at the club in 2026.