Australian international winger Nestory Irankunda has completed a transfer to Portuguese club Sporting from Watford, signing a long-term contract running until 2031.
The 20-year-old attacker arrives at the Estadio Jose Alvalade with an 80 million euro release clause inserted into his contract. Sporting have not formally disclosed the transfer fee, though the deal is expected to be worth around 15 million euros plus a further 3 million euros in performance-related objectives.
Irankunda joins the Lisbon club to fill the gap left by the expected departure of winger Pote. Sporting officials targeted the player to bolster their forward options ahead of the new season.
Speaking about his decision to move to Portugal, Irankunda said he accepted the offer following positive conversations about the project. He added that Sporting is a top club with a great history, noting that once Sporting was mentioned to him, he remained focused solely on joining them until the deal was completed.
Player profile and Michael Jackson presentation video
Sporting announced the signing with an official presentation video set to the song Bad by Michael Jackson. In the promotional video, Irankunda described himself as powerful, very fast, and capable of jumping high. The winger also celebrates his goals wearing a single glove identical to the one worn by Michael Jackson.
Irankunda expressed his delight at joining the team, stating that he came to Lisbon to win titles and play in front of passionate supporters. He said he wants to make history at Alvalade, describing Sporting as the best place to achieve his ambitions and win trophies this season.
Sporting's coach reacted to the arrival by stating that he is very eager to begin working with the young Australian player on the training pitch.
Background on Sporting CP and Irankunda
Sporting CP, based in Lisbon, play their home matches at the Estadio Jose Alvalade and are one of the traditional powerhouses of Portuguese football, regularly competing in European competitions. Former Watford player Irankunda, an Australian international, now joins a Sporting squad competing at the top level of Primeira Liga.
