Sporting Lisbon believe reported £20m Arsenal target Tiago Tomas is a ‘generational’ talent capable of emulating the great Cristiano Ronaldo, as reported by AS.
It has all gone a little quiet around this 18-year-old sensation – at least, from an Arsenal perspective.
The Sun reported back in February that the Premier League giants were tying up a deal for a teenager who exploded onto the scene in the Portuguese capital.
Technical director Edu was apparently in talks with Sporting counterpart Hugo Viana and, back then, it felt like only a matter of time before Tomas was being unveiled in front of the Clock End.
Of course, the Portugal U21 international could still end up at the Emirates.
Goal reported last week that a move to North London is still very much on the cards for Tomas, with some at Arsenal viewing the teenager as a potential replacement for Alexandre Lacazette.
While Tomas is seen at Sporting as the closest thing to come through the club’s feted academy since a young Ronaldo – all braces and blonde-tips – the Lisbon-born wonderkid will leave the Estadio Jose Alvalade having made more of an impression at his hometown club than even Cristiano did.
Tomas played 30 games as Sporting won the Portuguese league title for the first time in two decades.
According to AS, Sporting president Federico Varandas offered Tomas the number seven shirt that will forever be synonymous with the Juventus superstar. He turned it down, opting to take the number 19 instead.
Tomas may be Sporting’s greatest homegrown talent since CR7 – and that’s saying something. But he is also his own man, writing his own story.
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