Farioli asks, Villas-Boas acts: FC Porto open talks for Souza | OneFootball

FC Porto is about to officially begin the 2026/27 season, with the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira against Torreense scheduled for next Saturday. Even so, André Villas-Boas remains committed to meeting the requests of Francesco Farioli. The Italian coach wants to strengthen the left side of the defense and add another striker, with the Porto president having opened talks with Tottenham over the signing of João Souza, Antena 1 reported this Wednesday.

The 20-year-old defender has been tracked by the Dragons for quite some time, ever since he began standing out in Santos’ youth ranks. However, last summer Tottenham moved for his signing, paying €15 million for the player.

His time in England has not gone as expected, however. Souza failed to establish himself last season, making only four appearances, and Spurs are now reportedly willing to let him leave for the same amount.

Given this scenario, Villas-Boas and Porto’s SAD are preparing an offer capable of meeting the English club’s demands without jeopardizing FC Porto’s financial balance. Two options are on the table: a permanent transfer for €15 million or a loan with an obligation to buy at the end of next season.

The required investment, however, will not be limited to the transfer fee. Souza’s wages are also high compared to the current salary structure of Porto’s squad. The Brazilian, who is from São Paulo, earns €2 million gross per year in London, a salary that would immediately place him among FC Porto’s five highest-paid players.

For that reason, the board led by Villas-Boas will have to seek an agreement with the player so that he agrees to reduce his earnings. In that process, they may present as arguments the prospect of more regular playing time and the possibility of getting minutes in the Champions League, something that is unlikely to happen at Tottenham in the new season.

Benfica reportedly offered €20 million

FC Porto’s entry into the race for Souza comes after Benfica allegedly submitted a €20 million offer for the player. The information was published last Sunday by Diário do Peixe.

According to the same publication, Santos also retained the right to 10% of any future transfer involving Souza. Also taking FIFA’s solidarity mechanism into account, the Brazilian club could receive around €1.2 million.

Diogo Costa back, Cláudio Ramos injured

For now, Farioli is expected to turn to Francisco Moura or Zaidu to fill in at left-back in the team’s first official match of the season. In goal, Diogo Costa is ready to return to the starting lineup after rejoining the blue-and-whites in training this Wednesday following his vacation period after the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Cláudio Ramos suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh, joining the group of unavailable players. Also in that group are Martim Fernandes, Vasco Sousa, André Miranda, Oskar Pietuszewski and Samu, all doing limited training.

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