FC Porto consider dipping into free agent market to bolster defence | OneFootball

The severity of Nehuén Pérez's injury, suffered in the match against Nacional, has raised the alarm at Dragão. With the Argentine sidelined until the end of the season, FC Porto is reduced to just three natural center-backs in the squad - a scarce number given the various competitions in which the blue and whites participate. Therefore, the signing of a free agent to strengthen the center of defense under Farioli is being considered, as the unrestricted market in January is still more than three months away.

The list of available free agents is not encouraging, as many of the standout names have a history of injuries or disciplinary problems. Even so, the option is not ruled out by the Porto SAD, as the coach himself confirmed after the match against Nacional: "It's important to have a broad squad, we're looking with the president and the club if we can do something to help the club in the next period". Farioli knows that the demanding schedule until the end of the year requires having solutions to rotate the team and mitigate the risk of new injuries in overburdened athletes.

According to the 'Transfermarkt' website, one of the most appealing names is Tomiyasu, a former teammate of Kiwior at Arsenal, but the Japanese has been injured for several months and will only be fit in December, which makes him a less attractive option given FC Porto's urgency. The list of highest-rated free center-backs also includes Dawidowicz, ex-Benfica B and Hellas Verona, and Ghanaian Amartey, with stints at Leicester and Besiktas.

In the squad, in addition to Bednarek, Kiwior and Prpic, there are players with some routines in the defensive axis, and the promotion of elements from the B team is also an option to consider in case of need. The analysis will be made jointly by the coach and the rest of the football structure led by André Villas-Boas, and a decision is expected soon.

Alternatives

Prpic rises in the hierarchy: the arrival of Jakub Kiwior at FC Porto pushed Dominik Prpic to the position of fourth center-back in the squad. With the injury of Nehuén Pérez, however, the young Croatian has now assumed the status of immediate alternative to the starting pair formed by Bednarek and Kiwior. When Zé Pedro was still there - meanwhile sold to Cagliari - Prpic came on as a substitute in three matches; the Portuguese played twice, but as a right-back, which at the time showed that Prpic, 21, was the main alternative to the Nehuén-Bednarek pair.

Versatility opens options for the axis: it was Francesco Farioli himself who pointed out midfielder Pablo Rosario as an option to play in the center of defense after Nehuén Pérez's injury with Nacional: "He came in as number 8 in the game with Sporting, now he played as a fullback. He played with me at Nice as a center-back. He is a very intelligent player with a great mentality, who helps us a lot". The versatility of Tomás Pérez can also be taken into account if it is necessary to adapt another element for the defensive axis; in systems of three center-backs, Anselmi has even already placed the midfielder in that position.

And the secondary formation: Gabriel Brás is the main alternative from the B team to fill a possible absence of a center-back in the main team, especially for being the only player in that position registered by FC Porto in UEFA for the Europa League. Yesterday, the young Portuguese international was left out of the FC Porto B match sheet against U. Leiria and, in the end, coach João Brandão revealed the player's promotion to the main team: "The purpose of the B team, now more than ever, is to serve the A team, either through the units that are already there to train and play, as, for example, happened with Gabriel Brás, who today could not play to be available for the A team." The coach added that Gabriel will train today with the main team. Felipe Silva, Luís Gomes and António Ribeiro are the other center-backs from B with an eye on A.

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