Farioli turns to FC Porto, asks André Villas-Boas for two signings | OneFootball

FC Porto presented 31 players to members and fans last Saturday before beating Aston Villa 2-1 in a friendly. Even so, the squad is still expected to undergo changes before the current summer transfer window closes.

Among the 31 footballers presented, only three are new arrivals: João Afonso, signed from Santa Clara for €1.5 million, with a further €500,000 possible in bonuses; Inbeom Hwang, who arrived from Feyenoord for €4.5 million, a fee that could rise to €5 million if certain targets are met; and André Silva, who joined on a free transfer after his contract with Elche expired.

Francesco Farioli wants more signings. According to O Jogo in this Monday’s edition, the Italian coach has already told the board led by André Villas-Boas that he believes the blue-and-white squad still lacks enough options at centre-forward and left-back.

Up front, André Silva has taken over as first choice, mainly because of Deniz Gul’s lack of goals, and Gul could still leave the club if an offer considered financially attractive arrives at the Estádio do Dragão. As for Samu Aghehowa, he is still recovering from a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, with his return only expected in November.

On the left side of defence, FC Porto have Zaidu Sanusi, Francisco Moura and Jakub Kiwior, although the latter is being adapted there, as his natural position is centre-back. However, none of the three has the full confidence of the coaching staff, so this area could also be subject to changes over the next month, whether through an arrival or a departure.

Further signings will depend on sales

The same publication also reports that changes in other areas of the team have not been ruled out. However, any further moves will depend on possible sales, as the board led by André Villas-Boas wants to take a surgical approach this summer and is not willing to do anything ‘crazy’.

That was clear in Francesco Farioli’s comments to Sport TV last weekend after the friendly against Aston Villa: “We still have many weeks of the transfer window ahead of us, we have to do some things, we are all on the same page about what we need.”

“We do not fully control the market, there are players we wanted to approach who are difficult at this stage, and there are opportunities that may arise later in the market. But, as I always say, we have to pay more attention to this fantastic group of players. I am sure the club will do what is necessary for us to be competitive,” he said.

For now, the Italian coach is focused on the eagerly awaited Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira clash against Torreense. The match is scheduled for 8:15 pm next Saturday at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra and will mark the official start of the Dragons’ 2026/27 season.

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