Hugo Viana is not anticipated to accelerate his start date with Manchester City following the confirmation of his exit from Sporting. The Blues had announced in October that the 42-year-old would take over from Txiki Begiristain as sporting director, beginning to work together after the winter transfer window. Begiristain will continue to handle City’s recruitment until after the Club World Cup, but it was hoped that a transition process would facilitate a smoother changeover as the club seeks to fill the role of a figure who has been crucial to their success over the past 13 years. Viana was seen with Begiristain in Manchester last month, and his impact has been noticed in some of City’s January transfer activities. The president of Palmeiras praised his connection with Viana regarding defender Vitor Reis, while Abdukodir Khusanov appeared to be a player more likely to attract the interest of Sporting than City. On Monday, Sporting announced Viana’s exit, stating: “Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD informs that Hugo Viana has requested to leave the Club earlier than planned, which was originally set for the end of this sports season.” Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD announces that, following the discussion of the presented reasons and by mutual agreement, the sporting director of Sporting CP has ended his responsibilities after the winter transfer market concluded. This allows Viana to dedicate additional time to his upcoming position, and he is expected to be more present at the Etihad and around Manchester in the coming months as he gets ready for his new responsibilities. Nevertheless, even though he left Sporting sooner than anticipated, he won’t be joining City sooner than scheduled, as Begiristain remains in charge of operations for the remainder of the season.
