New Delhi: When we talk about Sporting CP this season, a player that everyone would be talking about is Viktor Gyokeres and his unbelievable goalscoring form. However, there is another player who is having quite a season with the Portuguese champions. Former Barcelona flop, Francisco Trincao is finally proving his doubters wrong by producing some of his best performances in Portugal. The winger has had a few rough spells, first with the Spanish giants FC Barcelona and then in the Premier League with Woverhampton Wanderers.
However, ever since he made his move to Portugal in 2022, Trincao’s progress at the age of 24 has skyrocketed. His involvement from the right flank has had a tremendous impact on other attackers too, as his abilities on the pitch are finally being exposed to the fans. It wasn’t an easy start for the Portuguese though, as his struggles in Spain and England were too hard to take.
Poor stint at Barcelona and Wolves
Francisco Trincao in action for Wolves (@PremierLeague)
As Trincao climbed up the ranks to earn his first senior appearance for Braga, his boyhood club, he was considered to be one of the top prospects of 2019/20 season. His ability to beat the defenders, and creativity up front caught the eyes of Barcelona scouts. His fantastic 14 goal contributions for Braga earned him €31 million move to the Catalan giants. His exciting playmaking ability and pace made him a perfect match for the Barcelona, who fell short of winning the league, finishing second to Real Madrid who took the crown that season.
The Portuguese international had a disastrous time at Barcelona in the 2020/21 season, where he did get the minutes, making 42 appearances in all competitions. Trincao did not adapt to the playing style and the competitiveness of the league whatsoever, and he only managed to bag five goal contributions that season which suggested that the young forward was clearly not matching the standards of the legendary club’s stature. The winger was nowhere close to the standards that every Culer expected of him.
He moved to the Premier League without wasting any time and well, this loan move turned out to be worse than his 2020/21 season, as Trincao had just four goal involvements for Wolves in all competitions. Despite making 28 league appearances, the Barcelona loanee yet again failed to make an impact with just two goals and an assist throughout the season. Yet another loan move came up calling for the Portuguese and his next move took him back home, as Barca loan him out to Sporting CP in 2022.
Start of Trincao’s ‘career revival’
Sporting have reached full agreement with Barcelona for Francisco Trincão deal. €10m fee confirmed for 50%, to be paid in one year. He’s in Lisbon in order to complete the move. 🟢 #transfers
Barcelona will have a buy back clause valid for the next three years. pic.twitter.com/g27Jfz3Hbb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 11, 2022
After his struggles at Wolves, Trincao became a part of the Portuguese side Sporting CP. This was a chance for the winger to get things righht and make the most out of this opportunity and he did that just right. With a total of ten goals and two assists, Trincao showed the fans what he was capable of and the next year there was more good news for him as the club where he finally found his form back, signed him from Barcelona on a permanent basis.
From there, it all went North for the talented Portuguese, as the 2023/24 season saw a massive improvement in Trincao’s numbers. With 15 goal invovements in the Portuguese league, only Viktor Gyokeres, Pedro Goncalves and Paulinho had more contributions in the squad, helping Ruben Amorim’s side lift their 20th League title. It was truly an astonishing revival for a player whose confidence took a massive hit after his spells in Spain and England. The Portuguese also had two assists in Europa League, where Sporting reached Quarter Finals, before getting eliminated by the competition winners, Atalanta.
An extraordinary start to 2024/25 campaign
The 24-year-old winger has had a tremendous start to the campaign and he is amongst the best performers so far in the league. With three goals and eight assists to his name, he is topping the best playmaker’s list with the most number of assists so far. With a combined total of 11 goal contributions, he is second, just behind his teammate Gyokeres, in the list of most number of goal contributions so far in the league. He has been one of the most electrifying players in the league with his skillset on the pitch and ability to beat the defenders to create chances.
It already seems like the talented winger has finally managed to get back to his best, as so far he has been a massive asset for the Portuguese champions. Trincao will be looking to improve on these stats as the season progresses forward and his performances may attract top European sides to take his talent into serious consideration. There might be teams like Liverpool, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid who might show interest in buying the Portuguese forward, but as of now, he looks set to perform for his current side Sporting.
It has been a tremendous start to the campaign for the Portuguese winger, Francisco Trincao, a Barcelona flop who is now excelling at Sporting CP. Let’s have a look at how he turned things around. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
