That was the situation facing Porto manager Sergio Conceicao last season after two of his own sons signed professional contracts with the club in the summer of 2020.
The elder of the pair, Rodrigo, had been on Benfica s books, and it was made clear when he signed that the 21-year-old would spend the majority of the campaign playing with the B team.
But the decision facing Conceicao Sr. regarding the fourth of his five sons, Francisco, was always likely to be far more difficult.
Francisco, who is also known as Chico, has been highly touted since arriving at the Porto academy in 2017, and was quickly christened Messi do Olival due to the similarities between his game and the Argentine maestro and in reference to the club s training ground.
Francisco Conceicao: Porto manager s son earning Messi comparisons goal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from goal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.