FC Porto weigh up signing João Souza or loan with obligation to buy | OneFootball

After winning the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, FC Porto is preparing to begin the defence of its national title. Although the priority is the start of the league campaign, the club remains attentive to the market, as two of Francesco Farioli’s requests have yet to be fulfilled. The Italian coach wants a left-back and a striker, with André Villas-Boas tasked with finding the best solutions.

Porto’s president has several players on his shortlist and has already made formal approaches for some of them. Even so, he is not expected to rush things, instead looking to secure signings who would represent genuine added value for the squad.

Experience shows that, as the transfer window nears its close, clubs tend to become more willing to lower the fees demanded for players they are looking to move on. That is precisely the opportunity FC Porto hopes to take advantage of in order to sign Farioli’s targets for more affordable amounts.

Villas-Boas has used this strategy before. Last summer, he managed to secure Jakub Kiwior from Arsenal at an advanced stage of the transfer window, giving the coach one of the most important signings of the season.

The Polish defender arrived at the Dragão on loan and ended up staying permanently at the end of the season, after FC Porto invested a further €17 million to sign a player who became undisputed in Farioli’s team.

Souza, the new Kiwior?

Now, less than a year later, Porto’s president is looking to repeat the formula and offer a new ‘gift’ to the coach who brought the league title back to the Dragão. For the left-back position, there is already a priority target, although signing him will require complex negotiations.

The player in question is João Souza, a Brazilian full-back who has no room in Roberto De Zerbi’s plans at Tottenham. The London club, however, will only consider negotiating the player for a fee of no less than €20 million.

FC Porto has been tracking the 20-year-old for several seasons, dating back to before he swapped Santos for Tottenham last summer. At the moment, the Dragons are trying to determine whether it will be possible to bring him to the Dragão.

Given the club’s current financial situation, Villas-Boas will have to find a balanced solution without going overboard. According to the latest information, two possibilities are being considered: an immediate purchase for €20 million or a loan with an obligation to buy, allowing the payment of that amount to be spread out, similar to what happened with Kiwior.

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