Farioli on Fofana and Giménez: “We know the player we want” | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli put the transfer market at the center of the conversation when addressing the possibilities involving Fofana and Santiago Giménez, at a time when FC Porto are looking to fine-tune the squad. The coach also painted a picture of a pre-season geared toward raising the competitive demands and managing a start to the campaign already marked by injuries. Without making promises, he left one firm idea: “We know the profile of player we want to bring in.”

In the final days of the transfer window, Francesco Farioli has kept a clear line in his message: FC Porto know what they are looking for, but will not treat every name linked with the club as confirmation. Between the memory left by Seko Fofana, the speculation surrounding Santiago Giménez, and the preparations for a more demanding schedule, the coach pointed to decisions guided by judgment and adaptation to reality.

Asked about a possible return for Fofana, Farioli acknowledged the player’s connection to the club, without going beyond what he sees as a concrete possibility.

“There are a few possibilities on the table, let’s see how things develop. We know the profile of player we want to bring in,” he said. “Seko is a player loved by everyone, he left good memories here. I speak to him from time to time, but he is not with us at the moment.”

The coach thus separates his regard for the past from the need to assess the present. Fofana appears as a warmly received figure, but not as a certainty in the squad’s immediate plans.

On Santiago Giménez and the search for solutions for the No. 9 position, the coach was equally reserved, noting that the market imposes different levels of negotiation and adaptation.

“Internally, it is clear what we want to do. There is an ideal scenario, then there are different levels of adaptation to reality according to our possibilities and what the market can offer us. As for the No. 9 position, many names have been linked with us,” he explained. “I’m not going to comment on anything that is not close enough to being a clear possibility for us. We would like to sign some players, I don’t know whether it will be one or two. The final days will be very intense, not only for us but for everyone.”

The message is one of caution in what is usually a frantic period. Farioli does not hide his desire to strengthen the team, but refuses to anticipate moves before the possibilities take on more defined contours.

Preparations for the season, meanwhile, were designed to meet a higher competitive bar, not only in Europe, but above all in the Portuguese league. Farioli described work aimed at testing the group’s limits and getting a stronger response from them.

“In pre-season, we wanted to raise our level, not only for the Champions League, but above all for the Portuguese league. The level of demand will be higher in every respect. Knowing our players, and their limits, we tried to push them to overcome them in everything,” he stressed. “Their response has been very positive. The market is open, we are still at the beginning of the season, unfortunately with some injuries, but the players have been working very well, with the same desire to improve every day.”

Between the pressure of the market and the physical limitations already being felt, the coach values the players’ daily response. It is in that balance between strengthening, recovering, and growing that FC Porto are looking to build their next steps.

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