In August 2022, Fabrizio Romano, an Italian journalist and one of the biggest specialists in the transfer market, posted a warning note on Twitter: “Keep an eye on Serif Nhaga, FC Porto’s talent. The left defender has attracted interest from clubs from Spain and France and he is available for free. In Italy, Juventus and Fiorentina are already trying to sign him”.
Yesterday, five months later, the confirmation came. The 17-year-old player, who joined FC Porto in 2019, born in Guinea-Bissau but naturalized as Portuguese, signed a contract until 2025 with millionaire Paris Saint-Germain, who comes from the French I League. Nuno Mendes.
In the first phase he will play for the juniors of the Parisian club. But those in charge of PSG have high hopes for this signing and some French websites are already calling him the new Nuno Mendes, referring to the Portuguese international left-back who plays for the French emblem.
Serif Nhaga was one of FC Porto’s brightest prospects and stood out among the under-17s last season, scoring nine goals in 28 games even as a defender, a fact that aroused the curiosity of several scouts (he even played five games for the under-17). 19s in 2021-2022).
The dragons did everything to keep him and recently offered him a professional contract, but the young man refused and was free and trained alone and alone – it would be a bond valid for three seasons, in which he will pay about 150 thousand euros over the three seasons.
Suspicious that the player was preparing to move to another club, as he had always refused to sign a contract, FC Porto sent documents to the Union of Professional Footballers and to the Portuguese Football Federation showing that he was trying to renew ties with the youngster , in an attempt to be compensated financially should Nhaga sign for another club.
Thanks to FC Porto
Behind this signing lies the hand of another Portuguese, Luís Campos, football advisor to the Parisians, who is always on the lookout for young prospects. He was responsible for this recruitment, through his extensive scouting network.
When it was time to say goodbye and before his transfer to PSG was official, Nhaga left a message on social media thanking FC Porto. “It was in 2019 that I wore blue and white for the first time. I will never forget that moment. It was the fulfillment of a dream. FC Porto has always been more than a club to me. It was home and family. I will always be grateful […] In football and in life, we must be ready to take on new challenges. That moment has arrived. It is a farewell with the hope of returning one day. Thank you FC Porto!” he wrote on Instagram.
Hours after this post, PSG made the signing official via the club’s website, with a photo of Nhaga in the club’s jersey, with his name already inscribed, and the following message: “PSG are pleased to announce that Serif Nhaga has signed a signed a contract until 2025.”
Paris Saint-Germain has four Portuguese players in the main squad: Danilo, Nuno Mendes, Renato Sanches and Vitinha. The latter two were signed earlier this season. If Nhaga stands out, especially in Youth League matches (the Champions League for juniors), he could be called up in the medium term to train with the main squad, alongside stars like Messi, Neymar and Mbappé.
Source: DN
