FC Porto could pocket up to €26 million from loan players | OneFootball

As the season unfolds on the pitch, FC Porto is also quietly shaping major financial moves away from the spotlight. In both the summer window and the winter market, the club’s board built a loan network stretching from the Americas to Europe that could generate as much as €26 million.

Players who are no longer first-choice options can become assets capable of bringing in funds and easing the wage bill. Managing a squad is not just about signing big names; it also requires knowing how to maximize the value of those who leave. On that front, André Villas-Boas and his team have managed to find a balance between sporting and financial planning.

A large part of these loans includes purchase clauses that could become mandatory, as is the case with Danny Namaso at Auxerre, or Iván Jaime, who is playing in MLS for Canadian side CF Montréal. These two deals alone could represent more than €11 million for the Dragons’ coffers.

In Namaso’s case, Auxerre holds an option to buy 60% of his rights for €5 million, plus €700,000 in variables. That option becomes mandatory if the forward plays 60% of the minutes for the French side — a condition he has already met — and if Auxerre stays in Ligue 1, something that is not yet guaranteed, as the team currently sits in the play-off zone, five points above 15th place.

As for Iván Jaime, CF Montréal holds an option to buy 80% of his rights. The fee would have been €5 million if the option had been exercised by January 31, which did not happen. It rises to €5.5 million if triggered by May 31. Even so, the purchase will become mandatory if the Spaniard reaches 60% of matches with at least 45 minutes played by June. An injury delayed him slightly, but the playmaker has been used with some regularity.

The biggest potential windfall lies with Stephen Eustáquio, a key player at Los Angeles FC. A permanent transfer for €6.7 million ($7.25 million) is seen as plausible, especially given the excellent start he made at the club before his injury. The leg problem, caused by a collision with a referee and worsened by treatment that went wrong, has still not been resolved, and Eustáquio used the international break to recover and prepare for his return.

On the other side of the Atlantic, in Brazil, young Tomás Pérez is beginning to establish himself at Atlético Mineiro, a club that holds an option to buy 80% of his rights for €5 million, valid until May, after which it rises to €5.5 million. Samuel Portugal and Ángel Alarcón could also add around €4 million if their respective options are exercised. The Brazilian goalkeeper, who did not play a single minute for Porto after joining from Portimonense in September 2022, is now a starter and has made 21 appearances so far for Al-Akhdoud.

At Utrecht, Alarcón is enjoying a good spell. Without room at FC Porto, he moved in January to the Dutch club, where he has performed well and helped the team climb the table. With three goals and two assists in just nine matches, the winger is unlikely not to be sold, especially since the price is within reach: €2 million for 50% of his rights. FC Porto also kept the option to buy back 40% of that 50% — in other words, the majority of the rights — for €3 million. Before leaving, Alarcón extended his deal with the Dragons by one more year, taking his contract to June 30, 2028.

A different case: Vasco Sousa

Vasco Sousa was also loaned to Moreirense this season, with a purchase option set at €8 million. However, the midfielder had no luck, as he underwent surgery on a fractured fibula in his right leg on December 15. The post-operative period was a real nightmare due to a hospital virus. He returned to Olival after 39 days in hospital and 21 trips to the operating room and, as a result, the chance — however remote, given the figures involved — of generating revenue for FC Porto was lost.

Trio without an option

The group made up of Dennis Konney (Gondomar), Veron (Nacional), and Kotaro Nagata (Oliveirense) follows a different logic. None of their respective loans included a purchase option. The most valuable asset, despite a sharp drop in value since he was signed from Palmeiras for €10.2 million, is Veron. After spells at Cruzeiro, Santos, and Juventude, none of those clubs moved to buy his rights. He returned to Portugal to try to rebuild his value at Nacional. With a contract until 2027, the board will be under pressure to cut losses as early as this summer.

André Franco brought in €640,000

Among all the cases, there is one deal that has already gone straight into the accounts: André Franco was sold permanently to Chicago Fire for a fixed €640,000, plus performance-related variables. In addition to the income, the move also reduced the wage bill — a double win for Porto’s board, but also for the player, who, despite suffering a serious injury (a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee), won the trust of the coach and the MLS club’s management.

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