Sporting Lisbon insist that their relationship with winger Gelson Martins, who has been linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid, is good and the club will resist efforts to destabilise it.
Martins is highly rated and has been claimed to be on the radar of both Manchester United and Real Madrid, meaning Sporting Lisbon could have a tough time keeping hold of the starlet.
It has been claimed in the Portuguese press that Martins has knocked back an offer of a new contract from Sporting Lisbon, something which would appear to make an exit likely to happen sooner rather than later.
But the Portuguese giants have put out a statement insisting their relationship with Martins is good, while stressing negotiations regarding a new deal will not be conducted in the public domain.
"Gelson Martins is a key asset of Sporting CP", the club said.
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"The player and his representative are fully aware of this and know the exemplary conduct of the player, whether in sport or as a man, is regconised by the club and the president.
"The posture of Sporting Club de Portugal in the field of negotiations is very clear: they occur internally and not in the pages of newspapers."
Sporting Lisbon also emphasised that they will resist efforts to affect their relationship with Martins and his agent.
"All the rest are merely destabilising maneuvers, even if they are tried, have no effect or affect on the relationship between Sporting Club de Portugal, the player, Gelson Martins, and his representative."
Martins, 21, is a product of Sporting Lisbon's youth academy and made his senior debut in August 2014.
The winger has already impressed in the Champions League and caught the eye when he turned out in a group stage encounter against Real Madrid earlier this season.
