THEfinal, it was not yet on Thursday that Nestory Irankunda was presented as Sporting’s reinforcement for the new 2026/27 sporting season, despite everything pointing in that direction, as he arrived in Lisbon late last Tuesday night, to complete the transfer.
However, there is no reason to be alarmed. This is because, according to information provided by the newspaper O Jogo, the decision came from the communication department of the national runners-up in title and was based on mere “strategic reasons”, meaning the business is not at any risk of falling apart.
The agreement is completely closed with all parties involved. Watford will allocate a budget that could reach 20 million euros, subject to the achievement of sporting objectives, while the Australian international himself will sign a contract valid for the next five seasons (that is, until June 2031).
In fact, the 20-year-old player himself has already passed the traditional medical examinations, which took place at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy, in Alcochete, so, at this moment, it is only a matter of time before fans can see him, once and for all, wearing the green and white jersey.
Irankunda and Rui Borges with nothing to hide
Nestory Irankunda, moreover, left no room for doubt that this trip to Portugal had the express objective of signing for Sporting, in the first statements made to the various Portuguese journalists who were waiting for him, upon arrival at Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon.
“I’m very happy to be here and have the opportunity to play in the Champions League”, said the striker, who also took advantage of the opportunity to present himself as “a very fast player”, credentials that he is expected to put into practice at the service of the Lions, in the not too distant future.
On Thursday, at the press conference previewing Sporting-Vitória SC, the arrival of the Australian international was confirmed by Rui Borges himself: “I don’t think I’m lying when I say he’s signing now. He’s a player we really wanted and who will add a lot to the team”.
“He’s a different player from the players we have in terms of characteristics. Personally, I think I’m really looking forward to working with him, to understand even better the characteristics that we think can help the team, which make us stronger”, guaranteed the coach from Mirandelen.
First ‘smell’ of Alvalade today
Nestory Irankunda can, moreover, have the first ‘taste’ of what the José Alvalade Stadium is like… before it is even presented, as it is expected that he will be in the stands this Friday, to watch the second round match of the I League, against Vitória SC, which has a kick-off scheduled for 8:15 pm (Mainland Portugal time).
The lions, remember, entered the new season on the ‘left foot’, as a result of the 2-2 draw conceded during their trip to the José Gomes Stadium, against Estrela da Amadora, in a game in which they let a 0-2 lead slip away. Now, the objective will be to provide another image, compared to the most recent reinforcement.
