Marcus Edwards impressing in Portugal...

While the likes of Jude Bellingham and Tammy Abraham are impressing abroad, one Englishman who is going under the radar is former Tottenham Hotspur youngster, Marcus Edwards.

The winger is currently playing at Portuguese side Vitória SC (or more commonly known as Vitória de Guimarães) but is now on the verge of a move to Portuguese champions, Sporting.

Edwards was brave to move to Portugal from Spurs – it’s a path not often trodden for British players. In recent years, only Scottish playmaker Ryan Gauld has stayed in the country for more than one season.

Financially, that’s to be expected – few Portuguese teams can offer attractive wages – but the league is a fantastic place for young talent to develop. That’s why virtually every Premier League team now has a robust Portuguese contingent.

At Tottenham, Edwards was perhaps a victim of hype. Then manager Mauricio Pochettino said, “his qualities … it’s only looks – his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi.” Of course, Pochettino didn’t mean Edwards was going to become the greatest player in the world, but it was still an impossible comparison. Coincidentally, Ryan Gauld was another player burdened with the ‘Mini Messi’ label that found refuge in the Portuguese League.

Despite not being able to live up to the expectations at home, Edwards hit the ground running in Guimarães. Vitória is a club with extremely passionate fans but unable to keep up with the illustrious big three clubs of Benfica, Porto, and Sporting. In recent years, fierce rivals Braga have virtually cemented the position of the ‘fourth’ club.

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His performances have raised eyebrows back in England. According to speculation, West Ham United are very interested in bringing Edwards back to London. However, it seems more likely that for now at least, the winger will be staying in Portugal with Sporting leading the race.

It won’t be a cheap move, the Lisbon club are expecting to pay around €8 million (a lot in the Primeira Liga for a domestic transfer) and include at least two players in the deal. Perhaps Sporting are thinking that soon enough a Premier League club will come knocking with an even bigger offer. 

Should Marcus Edwards make the move to Sporting, he can expect to face Manchester City in the Champions League later this season and be involved a title race so tight that even the slightest mistake can be catastrophic. It would be a valuable experience for the 23-year old who could at long last fulfil his full potential.