Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim insists Geny Catamo will not be sold despite links with Premier League giants Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.
It seems that every nation on planet earth has their own Lionel Messi, and Mozambique is no different.
Nicknamed the ‘Messi of Mozambique’ by former Sporting defender and Mambas international Mexer, Geny Catamo’s tendency to cut inside onto his left foot from the right wing has done little to dispel those comparisons, the attacker catching the eye of Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Fulham during his breakthrough season in the Portuguese capital (Football Transfers).
Catamo currently has a £40 million release clause in his Sporting contract.
Los Leoes are keen to reward the 22-year-old with a new and improved deal, however, with Amorim insisting that Catamo will be going nowhere as long as he is sitting in the Estadio Jose Alvalade dugout.
Tottenham and Arsenal linked with Geny Catamo
“I am very comfortable regarding Geny’s situation. Because, while I’m Sporting’s boss, there won’t be a sale,” Amorim, who was linked with the head coach’s role at Aston Villa and Wolves a year ago, tells O Jogo. “And this is the dream of every manager.”
“In the future, he will renew his contract. So Geny isn’t a problem for me. It’s a problem for the board but I’m calm about it (his future).”
Catamo has two goals and two assists in 13 games under Amorim this season.
Reports of Tottenham’s interest appears to back up claims made by Fabrizio Romano, who believes that Spurs will look to make another Brennan Johnson-style signing in the near future. Catamo, like the former Nottingham Forest whizzkid, would be an attacker brought in to contribute both now and in the future, the Premier League leaders paying not for the player he is today but for the player he may become.
‘Messi of Mozambique’
“I’ve known him since I was 15 years old,” Mexer tells Diario de Noticias. “He’s always been very quick, technical, explosive and great one-on-one.
“(But now) he has gained experience, athletic ability and is much more committed to the defensive process. He’s improved a lot in reacting to losing the ball.
“Going to Sporting, it was the best thing that could have happened to him. I think that the loans to Vitoria Guimaraes and Maritimo also helped him a lot.”
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