BENFICA
Premier League clubs fight over Benfica star Cher Ndour
The Italian midfielder is out of contract this summer and Manchester City and Manchester United are after his signature.
Benfica’s talent factory is one of the most fruitful in world football and has produced dozens of players who have gone on to star for Europe’s biggest clubs. Bernardo Silva, João Félix, Ederson Morales, Enzo Fernández... the list goes on.
The latest name to rise to prominence in the Portuguese capital is that of Italian midfielder Cher Ndour.
Born in the Italian city of Brescia in 2004 and of Senegalese origin, Ndour began playing soccer in his hometown and was picked up by Serie A side Atalanta at the age of 11.
In Bergamo he honed his craft and was fast-tracked through the youth ranks due to his imposing physical stature. But it was his talent on the ball and work rate that saw him become a fixture in the youth ranks of the Italian national team.
Establishing himself as an all-action midfielder, he immediately began to attract the attention of big clubs. In 2020 he signed for Benfica and was added to the Portuguese club’s academy.
He was promoted to the club’s reserve team at the age of 16 years and 269 days, surpassing the record set by João Félix as the youngest debutant for Benfica ‘B’. His performances for the club in last year’s UEFA Youth League earned him the nickname ‘the new Pogba’.
Barcelona reportedly sent scouts to the Youth League final to see him in action and a number of other top European sides are thought to be monitoring his progress. After drawing the attention of the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, AC Milan Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain his contract with Benfica is now set to end on 30 June and he could have the pick of clubs for his next destination.
In less than two months Ndour will be a free agent and the two Manchester clubs are currently thought to be leading the race for his signature. He has played 29 times for Benfica B in Portugal’s Liga 2 this season and scored four times from midfield.
Wherever he ends up, his new team will only have to pay a modest training fee to Benfica to secure the service of the promising young Italian. The new Pogba, the latest off Benfica’s much-heralded production line, could turn out to be one of the bargains of the summer.