Farioli eyes homegrown gems before settling FC Porto squad | OneFootball

FC Porto are maintaining an intense pace in their preparations for the new season, which begins in less than a month with the clash against Torreense at the Cidade de Coimbra Stadium for the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup. After almost two weeks at the Jorge Costa Training and Sports Development Centre in Olival, Gaia, the dragons travelled to England, where they will be based at St. George’s Park.

In total, 35 players are part of the group led by coach Francesco Farioli. Until 18 July, the Italian coach will use this pre-season camp to clear up the final doubts regarding the players who will be part of the first team in the new season.

Among the more than 30 players who will be at the English Football Association’s training centre are over ten youngsters from Porto’s academy. All of them will try to convince Francesco Farioli that they have the quality to join the senior squad in the season ahead.

The Italian coach will keep a close eye on the club’s “homegrown gold” and, as is customary on these occasions, is expected to select some of these youngsters for the second half of pre-season. They will have five demanding days to show everything they can do and prove they can earn a place in the squad or, at the very least, feature more regularly in the team’s work throughout the season.

Of the youngsters who travelled to England, covering every position on the pitch, seven were national under-19 champions last season. Three of them have already been used in the first team by Farioli: Bernardo Lima, André Miranda and Tiago Silva.

Who travelled to England and what can they offer the team?

João Afonso: Signed from Santa Clara this summer, the goalkeeper will try to show that he can be an alternative to first-choice Diogo Costa. Even so, everything suggests that his main role will be with the blue and whites’ B team.

Gonçalo Ribeiro: He has been working with FC Porto’s first-team squad for several seasons and was a backup in the B team last season. He is expected to be one of the players joining the reserve side upon the return to Portugal.

Gabriel Brás: He starts behind Bednarek, Kiwior and Nehuén Pérez in the race for a place in the starting eleven, but he could compete with Croatian defender Pripic for the role of the squad’s fourth centre-back. This camp is an opportunity to convince Farioli.

Luís Gomes: He recently helped Portugal win the Toulon Tournament and has been called up to first-team training in recent months. Last season, he started in some matches for the B team and is under contract until June 2030.

Yoan Pereira: He extended his deal until 2030 in May, after making his professional debut on 21 December 2025 against Felgueiras, in the first of five matches played for FC Porto B. He is an attack-minded full-back and could benefit from a possible departure of Zaidu or Francisco Moura to establish himself as an option on the left flank.

Tiago Silva: He started last season with the under-19s, later moved up to the B team, and ended the campaign as a national champion. The midfielder is under contract until 2031 and stands out for his intelligent reading of the game and his ability to find passing lanes between lines.

Bernardo Lima: He also featured for the B team in 2025/26 and won the national title after being one of the standout players for Porto’s under-19s. He is under contract until 2031 and is regarded as one of the brightest prospects developed at Olival.

Eirik Granaas: He arrived from Norway, where he made his debut for Fredrikstad’s first team at the age of 15. In two seasons, he made 14 appearances and scored one goal. He is expected to feature regularly for Porto’s B team, but he could become a welcome selection headache for Farioli during the new season.

Mateus Mide: He has not yet officially renewed with FC Porto, but the agreement is well on track. Compared to Vitinha, he is seen as one of the club’s biggest prospects and was named MVP of the Under-17 World Cup. In the campaign just ended, he was one of the key figures in the national under-19 title-winning team, with 11 goals and six assists.

João Teixeira: He has yet to make his debut for the first team, although he was on the bench on two occasions, against Salzburg and Malmo. He was one of the most-used players in the B team last season, standing out for his technical quality and the physical traits typical of a wide player.

André Miranda: He was the first academy player to make his debut under Farioli, but he ended up suffering a thigh injury, from which he is still recovering. He renewed his contract until 2031 in May and is seen as a future option for the dragons’ wings.

Duarte Cunha: He was one of Porto’s under-19 standouts and was directly involved in the winning goal for the juniors against Famalicão. Last season, he split his time between the under-19s and the B team, and is regarded as one of the club’s most creative wingers.

Eduardo Ferreira: He was the top scorer in the under-19 championship with 24 goals and could use the camp to show that he is an alternative to André Silva and Samu, who is still trying to regain peak fitness after the injury he suffered last season. He could even secure the “ticket” to become third-choice striker in the pecking order.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.