Sporting ‘forced’ into transfer market amid first-choice doubts 🦁 | OneFootball

Exclusive Leonino - Hidemasa Morita's injury may prompt a last-minute move by Sporting in the transfer market for a midfielder

Sporting is expected to enter the market for a new midfielder, Leonino has learned. The injury sustained by Hidemasa Morita against Nacional, in the third round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, has caused some concern within the club's structure. As our Journal reports in this Exclusive, they may proceed with an option for the position before the end of the transfer window.

Morita spent much of last season with physical problems, leaving Sporting's midfield weakened for several matches. He returned this season and regained his starting position under Rui Borges, but was injured again against Nacional and is expected not to be available for Sporting's upcoming matches.

This absence, along with the repeated physical issues of the Japanese international, has raised alarms at Alvalade. Sporting wants to avoid the injury problems they faced last season, and Frederico Varandas is considering entering the market to bring in another midfielder for Rui Borges's squad.

In this regard, Sporting is already studying the market and scouting possible targets to strengthen their midfield. This move would also anticipate a need that the green and whites are likely to face next year, as Morita's contract ends in the summer of 2026, which will leave Sporting needing to sign a midfielder, as happened in the current transfer window.

Without Morita, Sporting is left with only Morten Hjulmand, Kochorashvili, and João Simões as midfield options, joined by Pedro Gonçalves, should Rui Borges choose to adapt the star player, who has been playing as a winger. It should be noted that, as our Journal previously revealed in Exclusive Leonino, the young Portuguese midfielder has been losing his place in the team, another reason that may force the green and white management to target the market still in August.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.