Benfica is known for discovering and nurturing young talents, with Ederson, Joao Felix, and Bernardo Silva being some of their famous discoveries. The next talent to come off the Benfica conveyor belt is Italian wonderkid Cher Ndour, who has been likened to Paul Pogba. Ndour, who is only 18 years old, has been turning heads for Benfica’s B team, and with his contract set to expire this summer, a massive scramble for his signature is expected. Manchester City is the latest team to join the race, with Manchester United, PSG, Juventus, and AC Milan also in pursuit.
Ndour started playing football in his native Brescia, where he 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, and bigger foreign clubs showed an interest. Barcelona circled, as did Benfica. Ndour chose to join Benfica because he believed it would aid his development.
Ndour made his debut for Benfica B at the age of 16 years and 269 days, beating the record set by Joao Felix as the youngest to represent the club at that level. He has since appeared 56 times for Benfica’s B side and has contributed five goals. 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 levels.
With his future up in the air, clubs will just have to pay a training compensation fee to acquire Ndour’s services this summer. Despite being compared to Pogba, Ndour is reportedly reluctant to return home just yet, quashing chances of a Juventus bromance. Nevertheless, Ndour’s talent and potential make him a massive signing for the future.