Tottenham to hold meeting on Wednesday to sign former Manchester City player - Reports
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to hold a meeting on Wednesday (January 24) with Sporting CP over the signing of former Manchester City right-back Pedro Porro. Spurs have a long-standing interest in the Spaniard and want to lure him to north London during the January transfer window.
According to Portuguese journalist Bruno Andrade (via Sports Witness), the two clubs will meet on Wednesday to discuss a deal for Porro. It was noted that the meeting will make or break the Spaniard's potential arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Sporting will not listen to offers below €45 million which is the former Manchester City defender's release clause. They are reluctant to sell Porro this month due to his importance to Ruben Amorim's side.
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Moreover, they feel there will be better opportunities to sell the right-back in the summer. He has featured 24 times across competitions, scoring three goals and providing an impressive 11 assists. The Spaniard has two years left on his contract at Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Porro joined Manchester City in 2019 from Spanish side Girona for €12 million but failed to make a single appearance for the senior team. He spent one season on loan at Real Vallodolid in 2019-20 before heading to Sporting on a two-year loan. The Primeira Liga giants signed him permanently last summer from City for €8.5 million.
Antonio Conte hopes Tottenham's second-half collapse against Manchester City transforms his team's season
Tottenham suffered a second-half nightmare against Manchester City after taking a 2-0 lead into half-time at the Etihad on January 19. Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal gave Spurs hopes of beating the reigning Premier League champions.
However, Pep Guardiola's men romped to a 4-2 comeback win in the second-half courtesy of Riyad Mahrez's double, Erling Haaland, and Julian Alvarez's strikes. Despite Spurs spurning a golden opportunity to boost their top-four hopes, Conte was in a somewhat buoyant mood. The Italian coach hopes that the demise away at Manchester City is a turning point in the side's season (via the Independent):
"I think we are in the right direction from my experience. In my previous experience for example, it happened in my first season at Inter Milan that in the Champions League we played against Borussia Dortmund. After the first half we were winning 2-0 and we lost 3-2."
He added:
“We were at the start of the process and I think this (Man City) game reminds me of the start at Inter Milan because in the second half we conceded three goals and it was really difficult, but then you have to go through this situation to improve and to go to another level.”
🗣 "He loves Tottenham. Tottenham is in his heart."
Antonio Conte hopes to win something with Harry Kane at Spurs https://t.co/CZo1cVY4Dk
Spurs trail fourth-placed Manchester United by three points, having played one game more than the Red Devils. They next face Preston North End in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday (January 28). Conte's men then host City in the league on January 5.