Sporting CP sells Francisco Trincão to Al Ahli for €40 million, entering club's top 10 transfers

Transfer details

On Saturday, 18 July 2026, Sporting CP confirmed the sale of Francisco Trincão to Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli in a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM). The fixed fee is €39.3 million (approximately $45 million), with an additional €4.3 million ($5 million) payable if certain performance objectives are met, bringing the total potential value to around €43.6 million. Al Ahli will also cover the solidarity mechanism payment of €1.75 million and intermediary fees of 10% of the amounts received by Sporting. Trincão's departure is the second sale of the current transfer window, following Morten Hjulmand's move to Atlético Madrid.

Sporting SAD has reached an agreement with Al Ahli for the definitive transfer of the sporting rights of player Francisco Trincão.

The 26-year-old winger had a release clause of €60 million. He will earn a net annual salary between €10 million and €12.5 million on a four-year contract, according to reports. Trincão, who renewed his contract in March 2026 and was the highest-paid player at Sporting, was on holiday after the World Cup and will not join the club's pre-season preparations.

Trincão's Sporting career

Trincão arrived at Alvalade in July 2022 on loan from FC Barcelona, with the move made permanent a year later for a total investment of €21 million. Over four seasons he made 208 appearances, scoring 47 goals and providing 45 assists. He was instrumental in winning two Primeira Liga titles (2023/24 and 2024/25), one Taça de Portugal, and one Taça da Liga. Last season he played 54 matches, netting 13 goals and 15 assists. Trincão began his senior career at Braga, moving to Barcelona in 2020 for €31 million, then had a loan at Wolverhampton before joining Sporting.

Internationally, Trincão earned 19 caps for Portugal, scoring three goals, and was part of the squad at the 2026 World Cup, where he played 26 minutes as Portugal exited in the round of 16 against Spain. He had previously won the 2018 U19 European Championship and the 2024/25 Nations League.

Top 10 sales ranking

The transfer places Trincão among Sporting's highest-ever sales. The fixed fee of €39.3 million equals the amount received for Morten Hjulmand (Atlético Madrid) and Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur), both at €40 million, and surpasses Nuno Mendes' €38 million move to Paris Saint-Germain. The all-time record remains Viktor Gyökeres' €65.8 million transfer to Arsenal in July 2025, followed by Bruno Fernandes' €55 million plus €25 million in add-ons to Manchester United in 2020. Manuel Ugarte's €60 million sale to PSG in 2023 ranks third. Geovany Quenda (€50.8 million), Matheus Nunes (€45 million), and João Mário (€40 million) complete the top 10.

What's next for Sporting

With Trincão's departure, Sporting lose a creative player who operated behind the striker under coach Rui Borges. The club has several internal candidates to fill the role: Rodrigo Zalazar, signed from Braga for €30 million, is the favourite; Pedro Gonçalves could shift centrally; and young Flávio Gonçalves or Luis Guilherme are options. The club's immediate priority in the transfer market is a left winger.

Trincão's move to Saudi Arabia

At Al Ahli, Trincão will wear the number 7 shirt. The Jeddah-based club, twice Asian Champions League winners, already includes former Sporting defender Merih Demiral and Brazilian winger Galeno, with Rui Pedro Braz as sporting director. Trincão joins a league that features Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix at Al Nassr, and Rúben Neves at Al Hilal.