Dragons’ transfer business goes into overdrive
After a quiet summer in the transfer market, FC Porto made a series of significant moves over the weekend as the new administration led by André Villas-Boas readjusts Vítor Bruno’s squad for the 2024/25 season.
Tom Kundert rounds up the latest incomings and outgoings at the Estádio do Dragão.
Spain U21 striker Samu Omorodion was a surprise capture from Atletico Madrid, with another young centre-forward, Deniz Gül, brought in. The move that will most excite Porto fans, however, is the impending return of midfielder Fábio Vieira, on loan from Arsenal.
As for outgoings, David Carmo has been sold and Francisco Conceição has travelled to Juventus with a view to a transfer to the Italian giants.
In a closely guarded move Samu Omorodion, who has just won Olympic Gold with Spain, has signed for Porto from Atletico Madrid. The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a 5-year deal, costing Porto 15 million euros for 50% ownership of the player. The Dragons have two options to increase their ownership by 15% and a further 15%, in exchange for €5m euros each time. Omorodion’s buyout clause has been set at 100 million euros.
“I’m proud to be part of a club with such an enormous history as FC Porto,” he said. “I realise the responsibility of playing here where great strikers have played like Fernando Gomes, Mário Jardel, Falcao and Jackson Martínez, but I’m ready!”
The son of Nigerian parents, Samuel Omorodion Aghehowa moved to Seville as a child and first started making a name for himself in Granada’s youth system. He scored 18 goals in 33 games for Granado B, which persuaded Atletico Madrid to buy him last year, and immediately loan him to Alavés, where he scored eight goals in his first season in La Liga.
Omorodion will try and fill the gap left by the departure of Porto’s top scorers of recent seasons, Mehdi Taremi who joined Inter Milan after running down his contract, and Evanilson who was sold to Bournemouth last week.
Swedish U19 International Deniz Gül has also joined Porto, for a fee of €4.5 million plus another potential 500,000 euros in add-ons. Gül scored three goals in 17 matches for his previous club Hammarby, and becomes the third Swedish footballer to play for Porto after Lars Eriksson and Fredrik Söderström.
Creative midfielder Fábio Vieira is expected to complete a one-season loan move this week. The 24-year-old was sold to Arsenal amid high expectations in 2022 for €35 million but has struggled to make his mark in England in the face of fierce competition for places in the London team.
Arsenal have not lost faith in Vieira, as shown in their apparent refusal to sanction an option to buy in the loan deal. Even if only for a single season, signing Vieira would be a huge boost for Porto. The former Portugal U21 captain was magnificent in the 2021/22 campaign, making 23 goal contributions in 39 matches in all competitions as Porto completed a league and cup double.
Ever since former coach Sérgio Conceição was replaced by his assistant Vítor Bruno in the dugout at the Dragão, talk of a move out of the club for his son Francisco Conceição has been incessant.
Some standout moments at Euro 2024 only added to the rumours, and Conceição junior now looks set to sign for Juventus. The diminutive winger flew to Turin on Sunday in the company of agent Jorge Mendes with a view to completing the transfer.
One sale that is confirmed is that of centre-back David Carmo, who has joined Premier League club Nottingham Forest for a fee of €11 million plus a possible €4m in add-ons.
Carmo will not play in England this season however, as he was immediately loaned to Olympiacos. Both Forest and Olympiacos are owned by Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis.
Carmo enjoyed a successful spell at Olympiacos in the second half of last season, helping the Athens club win the UEFA Conference League.
