It took until January transfer window deadline day but Tottenham Hotspur finally achieved their breakthrough in negotiations with Sporting Lisbon for defender Pedro Porro. According to Sky Sports, he’ll join on an initial loan deal loan for £5 million, with an obligation to buy fee rising up to €45 million (or £39m).
Porro flew from Portugal to London early Tuesday morning, with the wing-back/full-back completing his Tottenham medical and signing the paperwork for his new team.
Pedro Porro has just signed his contract as new Tottenham player — valid until June 2028. Saga finally over. ???? #THFC #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/lGexRxDiol
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 31, 2023
An official announcement is expected from the club shortly. As you can see above, in the tweet from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, he’ll be a Spurs player now, for the next four and a half years. This was one transfer saga that just far beyond the realm of excessive tedium. It was reminiscent of the Bruno Fernandes deal, with Manchester United, three years ago.
Because that it was what the club leadership of Sporting CP does when they have a hot commodity, wanted by a Premier League big six club in the January window- they play hardball. (I guess this is karma coming back to Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy, who has a reputation as an extremely hard line negotiator)
Sporting holds out as long as they can, to get as much as they can. In other words, doing exactly what capitalism encourages. As G.O.A.T. stand-up comedian Chris Rock said, “don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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