Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly decided to end their interest in Sporting CP’s Spanish defender Pedro Porro.
Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas has claimed that Tottenham have cooled their interest in the 23-year-old Spanish defender Pedro Porro because of the asking price. The highly talented right-back has a release clause of £40 million in his contract, and Tottenham are not willing to pay that kind of money to secure his services.
Porro has been in impressive form this season and he has laid out ten assists across all competitions. Tottenham could certainly use a quality attacking full-back like him, and they have been in contact with all parties over a January move.
The likes of Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty have been very poor this season, and youngster Djed Spence is yet to make his mark since joining the club in the summer. The summer signing might even leave Tottenham on loan this month.
Antonio Conte’s system is heavily reliant on quality attacking full-backs, and Porro would have been the ideal acquisition for his side in January. The Spaniard has shown that he is capable of playing at the highest level, and he impressed against Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League group stages.
#Tottenham have cooled initial interest in Pedro Porro. #SportingCP insistent they pay £40m release clause in full. More on @SkySportsNews and here: https://t.co/OzHTtF6aQx #THFC Will also chat about this on @LastWordOnSpurs at 8pm pic.twitter.com/I7PmzTJJnC
— Lyall Thomas (@SkySportsLyall) January 2, 2023
There is no doubt that the 23-year-old will be tempted to join a club like Tottenham. But it seems that Sporting are unwilling to let him leave for a knockdown price and will demand £40 million to part ways with him.
It is understandable that the Portuguese club are looking to recoup as much as possible for the Spanish defender. The 23-year-old is a key player for them and he has a big future ahead of him. There is no doubt that Porro has the potential to justify the £40 million asking price in the long run. But Tottenham are hoping to bring in an inexpensive addition.
It will be interesting to see if the north London club decide to shift their attention towards another player and reinforce the area of the squad before the January transfer window closes. Spurs are also keeping tabs on Malo Gusto.
Tottenham are looking to secure Champions League qualification this season, and they must address the glaring weaknesses in their squad in order to finish above clubs like Manchester United and Newcastle United. Apart from a quality full-back, Tottenham should look to bring in a creative central midfielder as well.
