Borja Sainz lost ground at FC Porto, must raise his game in 2026/27 | OneFootball

Borja Sainz arrived at the Dragão last summer with the reputation of an explosive winger, capable of keeping opposing defences on constant alert thanks to his pace and dribbling on the run. The Spaniard made a strong impression right from the first matches and was decisive in the club’s national title win, notably with the goal scored at home against SC Braga, which secured three very important points in the league in a particularly demanding match for Francesco Farioli’s side.

In fact, personal issues related to his mother’s health — she would eventually pass away after a long illness — had a strong emotional impact on the player, for whom the SAD led by André Villas-Boas paid a fixed fee of €13.3 million last summer, plus add-ons that could reach €2 million upon the fulfilment of certain objectives. Norwich also kept 20% of the capital gain from any future transfer of the player, who signed until 30 June 2030 and was also given a release clause set at €100 million.

Borrow Sainz’s performances eventually dropped compared to the opening phase of the season and, after the arrival of Oskar Pietuszewski, Farioli began to prioritise the flair and youth of the 18-year-old Polish prodigy, who arrived at the Dragão in the winter window and made an immediate and impressive impact, pushing the Spaniard onto the bench. The entire staff and even president André Villas-Boas, who travelled specifically to the neighbouring country to attend Borja’s mother’s funeral ceremonies, always remained supportive of the footballer during a very delicate moment in his personal life. The truth is that Sainz struggled to regain the level he had previously shown and ended up losing some ground, despite the rotation implemented by the Porto coach.

In this context, and with next season already on the horizon, Borja Sainz will have to show his best version if he wants to succeed again under Farioli. At the same time, Athletic Bilbao already had him on their radar before he moved to FC Porto, and that possibility remains open, especially given the prospect of Nico Williams potentially leaving the Basque club. Even so, any departure would only be considered in the face of an offer exceeding the investment made by Porto’s SAD.

Borja Sainz’s numbers in a Porto shirt stand at seven goals and six assists in a total of 2,537 minutes, but since the start of the calendar year the attacker has managed only three assists. One of the issues pointed out about FC Porto’s wingers at a certain stage was precisely their lack of goals, especially from Borja and Pepê, given the playing time granted by Farioli. If he wants to be a key piece in the strategy for 2026/2027, Sainz really will have to raise his level, especially as Pietuszewski currently has the edge.

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