Manchester City ‘interested in re-signing 33yr old star from Tottenham Hotspur’
Fernando Porro, a right-back for Tottenham Hotspur, is reportedly open to rejoining Manchester City this summer.
After spending some time at sister club Girona, Porro joined Man City for three years between 2019 and 2022, but he never played a minute for Pep Guardiola’s team.
On loan at Real Valladolid and Sporting Lisbon, where he made significant progress before making a permanent move in the summer of 2022, the 24-year-old instead refined his skills.
With 98 appearances, 12 goals, and 20 assists in his career for Sporting, Porro’s outstanding play with the Portuguese powerhouses attracted the attention of Tottenham, who signed the right-back in January of last year on a first-ever loan agreement with a buyout clause of €45 million (£38.7 million) for the following summer.
Since then, the two-cap Spain international has become an indispensable part of Ange Postecoglou’s team, racking up seven assists in 19 Premier League starts this year in addition to scoring an incredible long-range goal that sealed the match in Friday’s FA Cup third-round victory against Burnley.
Porro is reportedly in competition at Spurs and has a deal with the North London team through the summer of 2022.
But according to Tottenham Hotspur News, Man City is thinking of making a summer raid for the attack-oriented right-back, who has been mentioned as a possible long-term Kyle Walker successor.
The story further states that Porro would find it “terribly hard” to decline a return to the Etihad and a second opportunity to work with Guardiola, his fellow Spaniard.
La Liga powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona, who have previously been linked to an interest in the right-back, are reportedly considering a rivalry with Man City.
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Porro is nine years younger than Walker, 33, who was strongly rumoured to be leaving Man City for Bayern Munich in the summer of last year.
But in the end, a transfer fell through, and Walker signed a new contract at the Etihad that is valid through June 2026.
The England international has been a regular player under Guardiola this season after it was reported over the summer that he was one of five Man City players chosen to captain the team as a member of a senior leadership group after a squad vote.
In the first half of the 2023–24 season, Walker has made 27 appearances for the Citizens in all competitions. Wearing the captain’s armband, he also had the honour of lifting the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
Walker has made 281 appearances for City since signing in 2017 and has won 16 trophies in total, including five Premier League crowns and one Champions League.
Guardiola has options when it comes to right backs, and one of the team’s best prospects in the past year has been 19-year-old Rico Lewis, an academy product who has recently played more like a midfielder.
In other news:
Revealed: Fabio Paratici ‘pulling the strings’ as Tottenham close in on Radu Dragusin
Football Insider has been informed by insiders that the club’s pursuit of Radu Dragusin, a defender for Genoa, is being spearheaded by former Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici.
Editor Wayne Veysey disclosed on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast that Paratici is “pulling the strings” for the team’s top January deal and that he is involved in a significant portion of Spurs’ January transaction.
The Italian is reportedly Daniel Levy’s preferred transfer guru despite his global FIFA ban and the arrival of recruitment chiefs Rob Mackenzie and Johan Lange in the autumn.
Despite Dragusin’s agent throwing cold water on a deal, Spurs are sure they will sign him this month, as reported by Football Insider on January 4.
Tottenham’s attempt to get the Genoa player is thought to depend heavily on Paratici as he attempts to bring yet another player from the Italian league to North London.
In April of last year, Paratici left his position as director of football at Spurs following the denial of his appeal against a FIFA global ban.
He received a partial reduction in his 30-month ban due to his suspected role in financial mismanagement at Juventus, allowing him to resume his football career at a lesser level.
Additionally, sources told Football Insider on December 31 that the club speaks with him on a daily basis as
Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr and Guglielmo Vicario.
Four of those players came from Serie A, a league that former Juventus manager Paratici is quite familiar with and has excellent ties with.
Following their 3-1 victory over Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve, Tottenham is currently fifth in the Premier League. They will next take on Burnley in the FA Cup third round on Friday, January 5.
