BENFICA continue to be pioneers in blossoming the stars of tomorrow.
The Portuguese giants famously discovered Ederson, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, and more.
But the next to come straight from the Caixa Futebol Campus conveyor belt might just be the best.
Italian wonderkid Cher Ndour, 18, has been turning heads for Benfica’s B team, where he has been described as the ‘next Paul Pogba’.
And with his contract set to expire this summer, a massive scramble for his signature is expected.
Man City are the latest side to join the race, with Man Utd, PSG, Juventus and AC Milan all in the chase.
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It started for Cher in his native Brescia.
Young promise
Born and raised in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, Ndour played for the Serie B side’s youth team from the age of eight.
By 11, he was snapped up by Atalanta and continued his development in Bergamo.
His rapid growth made him stand out on the pitch. By 16 he stood at 6ft2in tall.
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He wasn’t all skin and bone though. Blessed with strength and a flawless technique, bigger foreign clubs showed an interest.
Barcelona circled, as did Benfica.
It was the Primeira Liga outfit he chose for his next adventure.
“I already had the desire to have a new experience, and Benfica is one of the clubs that bets more on young players,” he told BTV.
“Since I know there’s that bet, I want to try to get to the first team fast.”
Fast tracked
Ndour made his debut for Benfica B at the tender age of 16 years and 269 years.
His appearance beat the record set by Joao Felix as the youngest to represent the club at that level.
It was a debut that would allow him to cement a position in the side who play their games in Portugal’s second division.
The playmaker, who can play in a more advanced role, has gone to appear 56 times in total for Benfica’s B side and has contributed five goals since.
Back in March, Ndour made his senior debut for the club in a 5-1 win against Vitoria SC.
At international level, he has been capped by Italy at U15, U16, U18 and U20 level.
They have bright hopes for the talent, although it has been reported he is reluctant to return home just yet – quashing chances of a Juventus bromance with Paul Pogba, who he is the apparent heir to.
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With his future up in the air, clubs will just have to pay a training compensation fee to acquire his services this summer.
A nominal fee coupled with bags of ability make Ndour a massive signing for the future.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
