Tottenham will have to pay Pedro Porro’s €45m (£36.7m) release clause if they want to sign him in January. Antonio Conte is keen to upgrade his options at right wing-back and has targeted Porro, who has excelled since joining Sporting from Manchester City, initially on loan in 2020 before the Portuguese club made the deal permanent for €8.5m last summer.
Initial conversations have taken place over Porro, driven by intermediaries, and it is understood that more will take place, suggesting that a deal could be a possibility, even though Sporting will demand the full value of the 23-year-old’s clause.
Sporting’s model involves selling players each year but, after moving on Matheus Nunes and João Palhinha last summer, they are under no financial pressure to cash in on Porro. Nunes went to Wolves for €45m plus €5m in add-ons; Palhinha cost Fulham €20m with €2m potentially to follow.
The Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, is under pressure from frustrated fans – they have called for him to stand down at recent matches – and he feels that he must back Conte, who is certainly winning the popularity contest. Porro was a key part of the Sporting team that won the Portuguese title in 2020-21, the club’s first such success in 19 years, and he has since remained at the top of his game.
Hugo Lloris has retired from international football after winning a record 145 caps for the France men’s team. The Spurs goalkeeper captained his country to their 2018 World Cup triumph and was on the losing side in last month’s final. The French Football Federation tweeted: “A Legend. Bravo and THANK YOU for everything Hugo.”
The 36-year-old told L’Équipe he had chosen to go out at the top and wanted to spend more time with his family.
