Tottenham have finally made a breakthrough in talks with Sporting Lisbon to sign defender Pedro Porro on an initial loan deal.
The move is now close to being finalized after intensive talks, and there is growing optimism that the transfer will be completed by the deadline. The deal will be an initial £5m loan with an obligation to buy for a fee rising to £39m.
Porro flew to London in the early hours of Tuesday morning and a deal could be completed immediately, with the wing-back scheduled to undergo a Tottenham medical Deadline day.
Spurs are understood to be making structured payments towards the £39m fee – the defender’s release clause – with the move becoming permanent from July 1.
Sporting’s Pedro Porro against Tottenham in the Champions League this season
Tottenham also give up 15 percent of their resale clause for Marcus Edwardswho moved from Tottenham to Portuguese football in 2019.
Edwards joined Vitoria de Guimaraes that year, before moving to Sporting last January.
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s right-back Matt Doherty is set to join Atletico Madrid on loan.
Porro in, Doherty out
Sky Sports News’ Michael Bridge reports live from Tottenham’s training ground on Tuesday morning:
“Spurs fans woke up yesterday to read ‘deal off.’ They wake up this morning to “deal on”!
“Tottenham were back in negotiations with Sporting all day yesterday. My understanding was that Sporting moved the goalposts late on Sunday night when Spurs thought a deal had been agreed at the weekend.
“They have sorted out the structure of the fee and Marcus Edwards – a former Tottenham player at Sporting – renegotiated a potential sell-on fee if he leaves Sporting in the future.
“Porro flew into London around 3am this morning so hopefully he will be a Spurs player in the next few hours.
“I am told that he is very excited to join this football club.
“I can also confirm that Matt Doherty is joining Atletico Madrid on loan – this is a straight loan until the end of the season I understand, no option or obligation. Doherty is on his way to LaLiga.”
Analysis: A big upgrade in a key position
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:
Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system requires effective wing-backs, and while Ivan Perisic has strengthened the left, the right has been neglected. Until now.
Pedro Porro joins Spurs after becoming one of the most exciting young players in Europe in the position with Sporting Lisbon, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists in 67 Primeira Liga appearances since joining from Girona in 2019.
He helped the Portuguese side win a league and cup double in his first season at the club, and that success allowed him to test himself against Champions League opposition, including Spurs this season, and Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City last term.
He embraced that challenge, proving his ability to excel at the highest level both in and out of possession, but it is his attacking threat that is key to his appeal to Conte and Spurs.
So far this season, Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty have managed just two goals and one assist between them in a total of 28 Premier League appearances.
The Brazilian has been first-choice for most of the campaign and a deeper look at the numbers shows the contrast between his production and Porro’s even starker.
Porro has created seven times as many chances per 90 minutes as Emerson, and his figures for assists, crosses, shots and successful dribbles are also significantly higher. He represents a significant upgrade for Spurs in a crucial position.
Spence close to Rennes loan, Gil joins Sevilla
Rennes are close to agreeing a deal with Tottenham to sign the right-back Djed Spence.
The agreement will be a direct loan without the option to buy.
Meanwhile, the Spurs are winning Bryan Gil has seen his loan move to Seville confirmed just before Deadline Day.
Tottenham’s Bryan Gil has joined Sevilla on loan
There is no option to buy, meaning the winger will return to Spurs, where his contract runs until 2026, in the summer. The 21-year-old joined Tottenham from the LaLiga club in 2021 in a £21.6m switch that also included Erik Lamela moving to Sevilla as part of the deal. However, Gil has only made 13 appearances for Spurs, having spent time on loan at Valencia last season.
The move comes after new winger Arnaut Danjuma made his debut in Tottenham’s 3-0 win at Preston at the weekend.
Gil was disappointed by Danjuma’s arrival. He believed he had done enough to impress managers in recent weeks, performing well in a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace earlier this month.
Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this winter? The transfer window for January closes at 11 p.m on Tuesday 31 January 2023.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumors in our dedicated The Transfer Center Blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also follow ins, outs and analyzes on Sky Sports News.
