Geny Catamo Move to Sunderland Collapsed as Sporting Chief Reveals What Happened

Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas has broken his silence on the collapsed £51m transfer, revealing that Sunderland’s approach was “disrespectful” and that he was left with no choice but to reject their offers.

The Transfer That Never Happened

Sunderland’s pursuit of Geny Catamo was one of the longest-running transfer sagas of the summer window. The Black Cats identified the 25-year-old Mozambique international as their top target and were prepared to shatter their transfer record to bring him to the Stadium of Light .

But despite weeks of negotiations, multiple offers, and personal terms agreed with the player, the deal spectacularly collapsed. Now, Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas has revealed the brutal reason behind the collapse — and it’s left Sunderland fans furious.

“The way Sunderland treated us was disrespectful,” Varandas allegedly told Portuguese media. “They came to us with offers that were nowhere near our valuation. They tried to negotiate a deal below his release clause, and they kept coming back with the same offers, thinking we would eventually cave in. We didn’t.”

The Numbers That Killed the Deal

The numbers tell the story of a deal that was always going to be difficult.

Catamo has a €60million (£51million) release clause in his contract, which runs until 2029 . Sunderland had hoped to negotiate a deal significantly below that figure, with reports suggesting a fee of around €40m (£34m) fixed could be enough.

The Black Cats submitted multiple offers to Sporting, all of which were rejected outright :

· First offer: €30m fixed + €10m in performance-related bonuses + a 10% sell-on clause
· Second offer: A higher fixed fee, but still nowhere near Sporting’s valuation
· Latest offer (August 31): A package worth up to €40m with bonuses — but still not enough for Sporting

Sunderland also offered Catamo a salary five times higher than his current earnings at Sporting, which would have elevated his annual wages from €600,000 to €3m . But that wasn’t enough to convince Sporting to sell.

Sporting’s stance was resolute: pay the release clause or walk away .

The Brutal Reason: Sporting Felt Disrespected

Varandas’s frustration stemmed from a simple reality: Sunderland’s offers were never serious enough.

The Sporting president reportedly felt that Sunderland’s approach was disrespectful because they kept returning with improved offers that still fell far short of the club’s valuation .

“We told them from day one: Geny is not for sale unless his release clause is triggered,” Varandas allegedly said. “They kept coming back with offers that were €20m below our valuation. That’s not negotiating — that’s wasting time.”

Sporting had already overseen a major summer overhaul, losing key players such as Trincão, Pote, and Hjulmand . They couldn’t afford to lose another vital player, especially with the transfer window in Portugal closing on September 5 and no time to find a replacement .

The message from Sporting was clear: Catamo was staying.

Catamo’s Quality: Why Sporting Held Firm

Sporting’s refusal to negotiate wasn’t just about money — it was about Catamo’s importance to the team.

The 25-year-old had been in sensational form at the start of the season, recording one goal and three assists in four official matches . He had already registered two assists in Sporting’s opening two Liga Portugal games. His manager, Rui Borges, had publicly praised his commitment and performance .

Sporting manager Rui Borges said: “Geny is happy at Sporting. He’s been playing well, showing his joy and commitment when he plays for Sporting, and he knows very well the confidence the coach has in him” .

Former Mozambique national team coach Luís Gonçalves was blunt in his assessment of what Catamo’s departure would mean for Sporting: “The club would be weakened. Geny is a fundamental piece in the team’s offensive setup. Sporting should do everything to keep him”.

Mozambique Boss Defends Catamo

Mozambique national team coach Chiquinho Conde publicly urged Sporting to let Catamo leave, arguing that the player had “already given so much to Sporting” .

“Geny has already given so much, so much to Sporting, and I think this is the ideal moment to take the next step,” Conde said . “He sees many of his colleagues moving to other leagues with financial advantages. A footballer’s career doesn’t last forever, and he also wants to seize this moment” .

But Sporting held firm. Borges fired back at Conde: “Regarding Geny’s national team coach, I’m not even going to respond to that. We’re at Sporting, the players are wanted by several teams, we have to know how to deal with that” .

The Verdict

Sporting CP chief Frederico Varandas has revealed the brutal reason why Geny Catamo’s move to Sunderland collapsed — the Black Cats’ offers were disrespectful and nowhere near Sporting’s valuation.

Sunderland submitted multiple offers, the highest reaching €40m with add-ons, but Sporting refused to budge . The message from Lisbon was clear: pay the €60m release clause or walk away .

Sunderland offered Catamo a salary five times higher than his current wages , but that wasn’t enough to convince Sporting to sell.

One thing is certain: Sunderland were left empty-handed.