Why Barcelona have the edge on Premier League rivals over Porro transfer

Stuart Telford

• 8 Jan 2023 13:49 GMT
• 3 min read

Former Manchester City youngster Pedro Porro has been attracting interest from the Premier League and beyond thanks to his Sporting Lisbon performances, but Barcelona have a key advantage in his pursuit…

Spanish right-back Porro joined Sporting from Man City on a permanent basis for €8.5 million in July, having spent the previous two seasons on loan at the Estadio José Alvalade.

With 11 goals, 19 assists and one Primeira Liga title in the Portuguese capital, Porro's performances have caught the eye, and Tottenham Hotspur are understood to have agreed terms with the player as part of a double swoop for him and their former winger Marcus Edwards.

READ: Revealed: Price Tottenham must pay for Sporting defender

But Spurs are unwilling to meet Porro's €45m release clause, and although that fee could also prove prohibitively expensive for Barcelona, the Camp Nou giants have an ace in the hole.

Trincao trick…

"Barca have a very good relationship with Sporting, and they should receive €7 million for the purchase of [Franciso] Trincao this summer," report Diario SPORT. "With this deal, the Blaugrana would reserve a buyback option of €20-25m.

"[But] Barca would be willing to give this option up if Porro came at a good price - their real valuation of the right-back is just over €20m."

READ: Barcelona's finances take another hit

Porro is currently rated at €17.1m by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm, with Trincao not too far behind at €16.6m, so Sporting's existing agreement for the latter already represents value for them.

Barcelona are desperate to sign a new right-back, meanwhile, having struggled to fill the position since Dani Alves called time on his first, trophy-laden, spell at the club in 2016.

Hector Bellerin has struggled with form and injury since returning to the club on a free transfer from Arsenal last summer, with Jules Kounde - a €50m summer arrival and centre-back by trade - having to play out of position for much of his Barca career so far.