Could Real Madrid sign Tottenham target Porro in the summer?
As Tottenham push to sign Sporting CP’s Pedro Porro in the January transfer window, Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on the situation, with a view to a summer swoop.
Sporting CP right-back Pedro Porro is one of the most sought-after players on the market, with several clubs eyeing the Spaniard. As Diario AS has been reporting, Tottenham Hotspur are pushing hard to sign Porro in the January transfer window. Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is eager to bring in the player, but so far the Premier League club’s director of football, Fabio Paratici, has been unable to seal a deal with Sporting. This week, Paratici failed with his latest bid for the 23-year-old.
Spurs unwilling to pay Porro’s buy-out figure
If they’re to sell Porro this month, Sporting won’t accept a penny less than Porro’s €45m buy-out figure. The Portuguese side’s head coach, Rúben Amorim, is putting pressure on the club not to let one of his most important players leave mid-season unless his release clause is activated.
As things stand, Tottenham aren’t prepared to go that high. The North Londoners will make a final attempt to persuade Sporting to sell for less, as they bid to secure the services of a player who greatly impressed Conte in Spurs’ Champions League group-stage clashes with Os Leões this season.
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Real Madrid eye summer move for Porro
All the while, Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on the situation. Los Blancos are looking to strengthen at right-back in the summer, and Porro is a player whose progress the LaLiga club has been following with interest over the past few seasons. Juni Calafat, Madrid’s director of international football, has compiled very positive reports on the defender’s development in Portugal.
Porro was a key figure in Sporting’s league title win in 2020/21, which ended a 19-year championship drought. He has come on in leaps and bounds since he left Spain, adding steel to his game and gaining elite experience in the Champions League. At the weekend, he offered further evidence of his growth as a top-level performer, playing a key role in Sporting’s opener in a 2-2 Lisbon derby draw with Benfica. He also came very close to scoring at the Estádio da Luz, his free-kick forcing goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos into a fine save. What’s more, Porro’s 95th-minute penalty against Vizela on Friday earned Amorim’s men a 2-1 victory.
While Sporting are holding out for €45m right now, things may be different in the summer. He’ll be entering the final two years of his contract by then, and his club will have more time to find a replacement. Were they to move for the player, Madrid would be in a much stronger bargaining position than Spurs are now.
For Porro, a return to Spain to join one of LaLiga’s top clubs would be a major step forward in his career - not least because the youngster, who has one cap, is targeting a regular spot in the Spanish national team.
Could City gazump the competition for Porro?
In recent days, however, Manchester City have emerged as potential competitors for Porro’s signature. City owned him before he joined Sporting, and have a buy-back option whose price varies as his contract progresses. The Premier League champions are currently thought to be considering re-signing the Spaniard, for a fee that would be €17m right now, and €22.5m in the summer.