Liverpool have been repeatedly linked with Francisco Trincão throughout the summer. However, the Portugal international’s list of potential destinations may now be getting a lot longer.
According to A Bola, Saudi Arabia is no longer a distant possibility for the Sporting attacker. The newspaper claims Trincão has become increasingly open to making the move. So the Saudi Pro League now has a genuine chance of winning the race for his signature.
England remains the player’s preferred destination and has done throughout the process. However, the report says Saudi Arabia, previously viewed only as a fallback option, is now considered a realistic alternative. And this shift comes from the 26-year-old himself.
Saudi Arabia becoming genuine competition
A Bola go as far as suggesting Trincão has already packed his bags to leave Sporting.
The newspaper believes there is now little chance of him returning to the club after the World Cup and his post-tournament holidays. So a summer exit is viewed as inevitable.
Sporting’s decision to renew his contract until 2030 in March, while maintaining his €60m (£50.5m) release clause, did nothing to change the player’s desire to move on. According to the report, that ambition is fully understood inside the club.
While recent Portuguese reports have consistently presented Liverpool as the club leading the chase, A Bola offer a different perspective.
The newspaper believes there is genuine Premier League interest, but expects the strongest possibilities to come from clubs capable of challenging for European qualification rather than the title itself.
That also comes at a time when Liverpool’s own pursuit may have cooled.
The Reds have reportedly completed the signing of Víctor Muñoz from Osasuna. And while Trincão had been presented in Portugal as Liverpool’s preferred replacement for Mohamed Salah, that addition could reduce the immediate need for another player in a similar attacking role.
Sporting still expecting sizeable profit
Even with Saudi Arabia entering the picture, A Bola maintain that England remains the most likely destination.
The Lisbon club are believed to be targeting a fee between €40m and €50m (£33.7m-£42.1m), comfortably below Trincão’s release clause but still representing a significant profit.
Sporting’s investment has steadily increased over the last few years. The club initially paid €3m (£2.5m) to sign Trincão on loan from Barcelona in 2022, before purchasing 50% of his rights for €7m (£5.9m) in 2023. They completed the process by paying a further €11m (£9.3m) last summer, taking their total investment to €18m (£15.2m).
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