Ryan Gauld is facing showdown talks with Sporting Lisbon this summer after claiming his progress is stalling since his sensational £3 million move from Dundee United two years ago.
The 20-year-old midfielder is frustrated that he has neither been able to break into the first team in the Portuguese capital nor been allowed to join another club on loan as he requested in January.
Gauld is in his second season with Sporting’s B team and now believes this situation is holding him back and despite assurances that he has a major future his patience is wearing thin.
The Scotland under-21 playmaker said: “I think my development has slowed down a little bit. It’s nearing the end of my second year in the B team. To be perfectly honest, it’s not what I hoped for.
“That’s why I was hoping to go out on loan and play first team games as that would accelerate my development again.
“There isn’t long until the end of the season – eight weeks after I return to Portugal so we will see what’s going to happen next season.
“I need to get back and do pre-season training and prove I’m ready for a first team place.”
Gauld, tagged Baby Messi by his former United team-mates, will make another attempt for a loan move if his first team options are going to be limited.
He said: “Sporting said ‘no’ when I asked about the possibility of a loan move in January. They still want me around the training ground and see me as a future first team player.
“That is really positive so I need to trust their word and hopefully they will keep their word.
“If I’m not going to be in the first team then I hope they would be open to me going out on loan.
“Sporting don’t spend a lot of money on players so they still see me as an investment and a transfer would be difficult. I would need to sit down with them and see what they think best.”
Gauld helped the young Scots maintain their slim European qualification hopes on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland.
He added: “We need to win all of our four remaining matches if we are to have a chance.”