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According to a recent report from O Jogo, Bayern Munich is monitoring Sporting Clube de Portugal youth star Gelson Martins.
The 22-year-old winger has been one of the key pieces of the Portuguese team and is one of the most desirable young players on the European market. According to the Portuguese paper, Bayern have been following Gelson Martins in recent weeks and are exploring the possibility of making a bid.
Gelson stood out to the Bavarians in his the most recent matches, especially in Sporting’s most recent derby against Benfica - when the winger put in a great performance and scored a goal as representatives from Munich were in attendance.
Born in Cape Verde off the coast of Africa, Martins moved to Portugal as a teenager and holds dual citizenship. He played in the youth teams of Benfica before moving to Sporting. In March 2014, he was promoted to the first team. Martins is right-footed and has essentially played as a right-winger, although he can play on the left flank too (he has also occasionally played as a right-back, mostly when he was younger).
Martins was on Portugal’s second-place team in the European Under-19 Championship of 2014, playing in all their matches. He has already surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s start at Sporting, having scored six goals in 41 games.
Martins’s strengths include superb dribbling, good passing and pace. Recalling Bayern’s own Kingsley Coman, he still needs to perfect his final touch and his decision-making in the final third, a common issue among young players. His recent performances have shown clear improvement in those areas.
Sporting intend to wait for the World Cup before negotiating. Martins is expected to be on Portugal’s squad in Russia, an important opportunity for the winger to be further evaluated. Martins is under contract with Sporting until 2022, with a buyout clause of €60 million. Despite that high price, Bayern still might consider a deal in this winter window to lock down the player for the next season.