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A few days ago, FC Porto president André Villas-Boas admitted that the transfer market is not yet closed for the Dragão club.
The surprising signing at no cost of Brazilian international Thiago Silva (already 41 years old, but at the height of his physical, technical and mental capabilities), provides the already reliable and solid Porto defense with more competitive maturity and experience, in addition to all the indispensable winning DNA that the veteran Brazilian central defender brings to the squad led by Italian coach Francesco Farioli.
After having invested eight million euros in signing Polish winger Oskar Pietuszweski, just 17 years old (considered one of the great promises of European football), the Porto club considers that there are still positions that must be covered to ensure greater competitiveness in the squad, and to fill any gaps or departures.
The long-term injury of Dutch international striker Luuk de Jong must be addressed, so that Deniz Gul is not the only alternative to goalscorer Samu Omorodion. And in addition, there is persistent talk of the interest of Galatasaray’s Turks in securing the services of Argentine defensive midfielder Alan Varela, which if happened, would leave the Porto squad with just one midfielder with culture and routines in a crucial position on the pitch: the Dominican Pablo Rosario.
These are the ones I consider to be the three ideal reinforcements in this winter market for FC Porto.
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Luís Esteves – One of the highlights of the sensational team Gil Vicente (which currently occupies fourth place in the championship), the Portuguese attacking midfielder has been the driving force of the Gilista team. A player with a fine technical profile, great game vision and goal sense, he could be an interesting alternative to Gabri Veiga. Rodrigo Mora is more of a second striker and does not have as much physical availability as Luís Esteves. At 27 years old, this could be the ideal step in the Portuguese player’s career, being valued at two million euros.
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Diogo Sousa – The young defensive midfielder, just 19 years old, trained at Vitória SC schools, has evolved immensely under the command of coach Luís Pinto, and is already a fundamental piece in the Guimarães team’s scheme. A striker of great technical quality, with high positional sense and a remarkable understanding of the game, has just won the League Cup with his favorite club, where he performed at a great level in the final against arch-rivals Braga. With a market value of 300 thousand euros (which can be considered a bargain), it could be one of the ideal reinforcements to overcome Alan Varela’s likely departure from the blue and white club.
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Clayton Silva – This would certainly be the largest investment among those that I consider to be the ideal reinforcements for the Porto team. However, we are in the presence of a player who has had great consistency in terms of numbers and great regularity in his performance. In a team the size of Rio Ave, Clayton Silva has already scored 10 goals (!) and five assists this season. A lethal striker with a highly refined killer instinct, his mobility and versatility make him a very complete striker, and one of the most interesting players in our championship. His pass is valued at 8 million euros, which could be an impediment to his signing, but wherever he went, Clayton was always a guarantee of goals. Having just turned 27, he is at the ideal maturity point to take a definitive leap in his career.
