Hugo Almeida: “I reckon Deniz Gul is the frontrunner to replace Samu” | OneFootball

Suddenly, FC Porto lost its top scorer and main offensive reference. This is a heavy blow for Samu, naturally, and also for Francesco Farioli, who had already lost another forward (Luuk de Jong) in December for a similar reason. Still, the club doesn't have much time for regrets: the prolonged absence of the Spaniard – who will not play again this season – creates a gap in the center of the attack, forcing Deniz Gul and Terem Moffi to step up their performance so that the Dragons feel the absence of number 9's goals as little as possible.

The first, Deniz Gul, has been with the club longer and has already been fulfilling the role of direct substitute for Samu. The other reinforcement, who arrived in the last days of January, is still looking to regain his best physical form – he hasn't played since November 30 – but was a trusted piece for Farioli at Nice. From now on, the responsibility for FC Porto's goals will fall on the Turk and the Nigerian, as the blue and white management does not intend to sign a forward available on a free transfer. This decision is based both on the profile of freely available options and on the confidence of the management and technical team in the abilities of the players already present, as well as other internal alternatives.

To comment on this internal competition, the newspaper A BOLA spoke with Hugo Almeida, a former FC Porto player. «I think Deniz Gul is ahead, especially since he is almost always the one who comes in when Samu leaves. These situations seem to weaken the team, but the players who have been on the bench will have the opportunity to prove their worth. Sometimes, an excellent option is found, which manages to show its worth, going from a temporary solution to a permanent player,» says Hugo Almeida, a former FC Porto and National Team forward, who does not believe that Samu's injury compromises the Dragons' fight for the title: «It doesn't weaken. The team was already prepared to play with Samu, but Gul has been coming in well, doing a good job, and scoring his goals.»

The former international, now working as a coach, highlights the qualities of the Turk, a «different player» from Samu. «He is not as physically powerful, but he also likes the challenge and asking for the ball in depth. Samu has been coming back to get more involved in the game, allowing the wingers to explore the depth. Football is a box of surprises. If the players are there, it's because FC Porto believes in them,» explains Hugo Almeida.

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