Sporting breathes a sigh of relief, secures World Cup stars

Ousmane Diomande, Maxi Araújo, and Luis Suárez headed to the World Cup with the potential to further showcase their talents to the market. The Ivorian had limited opportunities to do so; the Uruguayan, despite an early exit, impressed with two goals and an assist; the Colombian is still in the tournament with his team performing exceptionally well. The risk of these three players, whose departures would be unwelcome, leaving remains at varying levels of concern, but strong indications suggest Sporting will manage to retain them. A plan is in place to achieve this.

Having players at the World Cup is a very positive sign, indicating that clubs maximized their assets' performance throughout the season. Once in the tournament, there can be benefits, drawbacks, and always some risk. If the goal is to boost value for a sale, good performance aligns with objectives; poor performance can devalue a player and scupper a desired transfer. However, if the intention is not to sell, there's the risk of the market fixating on a player who becomes highly coveted…

In North America, there were (or are) three Sporting players who attracted significant market attention, but the Lions have them earmarked for the upcoming season: Diomande, Maxi Araújo, and Luis Suárez. Sporting's plan is to keep them, and despite some initial concerns, current indicators suggest the club will succeed in holding onto these World Cup participants. Although one of them continues to cause (a lot of) worry.

Maxi Araújo is that particular headache. Despite Uruguay's group stage exit from the World Cup, finishing 3rd with two points from draws against Saudi Arabia (1-1) and Cape Verde (2-2) and a 0-2 loss to Spain, the 26-year-old Sporting winger was involved in all three of his national team's goals, scoring two and assisting one. He was Uruguay's standout performer, and scoring in the World Cup always boosts a player's value…

He was the player Alvalade feared losing the most, and still does, but the signs of his continued stay are stronger now than they were a week ago. This is partly due to recent comments from his agent, Martín Rodríguez Nader: "When a player excels at Sporting, it's not easy to pry him away. That's the case with Maxi. Sporting has a lot of money and doesn't sell cheap. There are only 20 or 30 teams in the world that can afford Maxi: those in the Premier League and two or three top clubs from the other major leagues. It's unlikely Maxi will end up at a club that isn't one of those, given the club he's at, what he's looking for, and what we're aiming for."

The plan for Maxi is to point to his €80 million release clause, thereby making a departure difficult. He has already been linked with Chelsea, who are looking for a left-back. Maxi is under contract until 2029.

Also shining at the World Cup is Suárez, playing for an impressive Colombia side that relegated Portugal to second place in Group K and has already reached the Round of 16. Not always a starter but featuring in every game, the 28-year-old forward hasn't scored but has provided an assist. His focus is on the tournament, but his mind is also on Sporting. His commitment to the (defeated) Fenerbahçe presidential candidate is now in the past, and the transfer market isn't distracting him. After the World Cup and his vacation, he will be at Alvalade body and soul. Sporting does not want to sell him. He has a contract until 2030 and an €80 million release clause.

Diomande's World Cup experience was almost a side note. The 22-year-old center-back only played one game (90 minutes in the 2-0 win against Curaçao) for Ivory Coast, who were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Norway. He didn't significantly increase his value, but English clubs, including Leeds, continue to monitor him. However, Sporting, who see him as a key figure in their defense, are confident that no significant offers will arrive. If they do, they will have to consider that the center-back is under contract until 2030 and has an €80 million release clause.

Zalazar also featured for Uruguay (zero minutes), and still in North America are Debast (Belgium) and the Portuguese players Rui Silva, Trincão, and Gonçalo Inácio. The South American is a new signing, and among the rest, only Trincão is eyeing a departure… but this one is desired.

In the early hours of Saturday, Luis Suárez came on in the 8th minute for the injured Jhon Córdoba and six minutes later assisted Jhon Arias for Colombia's only goal against Ghana, which qualified the South Americans for the World Cup Round of 16 (see page 8).

The Sporting forward spoke after the match. "This is what we are as a family. Anyone, whether a starter or a substitute, we all want to participate. Fortunately, we got the win, which was the most important thing," he told Gol Caracol. Asked about his physical condition, Luis Suárez expressed confidence: "I've said it many times, even before the World Cup started, and fortunately, and I thank God for continuing to protect me, I feel very good physically and, above all, mentally. That's what I'm giving to the team right now."