FC Porto weigh up new Zaidu deal amid fresh Leeds interest | OneFootball

Leeds, who finished 14th in the last Premier League season, have turned their attention back to Zaidu. During the January transfer window, the English club had already made a strong push to sign the left-back from FC Porto, but at the time they came up against a conversation between Francesco Farioli and the player, after which the Nigeria international decided to stay at the Dragão to help the team through a decisive stage of the season.

Even so, according to the English press, Leeds’ interest remains intact and could even lead to a concrete offer this summer. However, they will not be the only English club monitoring the situation, especially as the full-back is represented by Jorge Mendes and there is a possibility that Wolverhampton could enter the race, a scenario that will always depend on the decision of their new manager, Portuguese coach César Peixoto. At the same time, according to information gathered by our newspaper, Zaidu also has suitors in La Liga, which increases the competition.

Despite this interest, the way the full-back ended the season and the confidence Farioli has placed in him, after a first half of the campaign in which he was used less, put him in a strong position to complete a seventh season with FC Porto, the last under his current contract. In that context, it is expected that the club’s board will move to renew his deal, not only because of his performances on the pitch, but also to avoid losing him on a free transfer, a scenario sharply criticised by André Villas-Boas when speaking about the previous Porto administration’s handling of cases such as Brahimi, Uribe, Marega and Marcano.

From the player’s side, there is openness to every scenario, although staying at the Dragão appears to be a very strong possibility. Zaidu feels valued at the club and acknowledges FC Porto’s role in raising the profile of his career, both in terms of the titles won and the club’s regular presence in the Champions League.

FC Porto’s return to Europe’s top competition after two years away is, moreover, another major factor. In the current squad, Zaidu is in fact the player with the most appearances in the competition, with 28 matches, 26 of them as a starter, numbers that reflect his experience on the biggest stages. Besides the left-back, only new signing André Silva has a similar record, with 21 starts, although the striker accumulated those appearances while playing for several teams and not only in the Dragons shirt.

That European pedigree, combined with the appetite he shows for bigger games, is expected to weigh in Farioli’s and the Porto hierarchy’s decisions. These are also the factors FC Porto will take into account when assessing any potential offers, knowing that the 29-year-old Nigeria international is protected by a release clause set at €50 million.

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