Samu injury opens market, exposes other FC Porto assets | OneFootball

Next summer, as is customary at the biggest domestic clubs, FC Porto will have to financially maximize the value of some of its players, not only to ensure the balance of the SAD’s accounts, but also to allow for new investment in the squad ahead of the 2026/27 season. Among those deals, more than any other, there should be a particularly large cash-in, in a similar range to Evanilson’s in 2024 (€37m), after the departures of Nico González (€60m) and Galeno (€50m) in the previous winter.

Until a few months ago, FC Porto’s most highly rated player on the market was Samu, 21, valued by Transfermarkt, at the time of his injury, at €50m. However, the well-known ligament rupture suffered by the striker, who had scored 20 goals in 32 games after netting 27 in 45 matches in 2024/25, and who was in line for the 2026 World Cup with Spain, not only prevented Francesco Farioli from relying on his starting forward for almost the entire second half of the season — after the main alternative, De Jong, had suffered a similar injury in September — but also increases the exposure of other squad players ahead of the next transfer window.

Without the protective effect of Samu, in whom the SAD invested a total of €32m to secure 100 percent of the economic rights, Porto’s market is expected to open up to other names. By way of example, and using the same portal, right behind Samu come the Dragons’ most valuable players: Diogo Costa (€40m), Rodrigo Mora (€38m), Alan Varela (€32m) and Froholdt (€30m), the only ones above the €30m mark.

The real dynamics of the market, which in years with major international tournaments — such as the 2026 World Cup — usually delay the completion of big-money transfers, and FC Porto’s strategy will determine which players can be negotiated and for what amounts. Even so, it is already clear that, without Samu, Porto’s window will be more open.

Pressure to sell eased in the winter of 2025

Although the 2026 World Cup could delay the main transfers by a few weeks in several European leagues, unlike what happened in previous seasons, since last summer the SAD has seen the need to complete its most significant cash-ins by June 30 reduced, reserving most investments for the financial years beginning on July 1. That objective was achieved above all with the sale of the registration rights of Nico González and Galeno in January last year. Now, even if it becomes necessary to sell before the close of the 2025/26 financial year, the company, which ended the first half with a consolidated result of €1.9m, will have greater room to negotiate those departures.

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