Pedro Porro could finally help Tottenham replace Kyle Walker | Oh What A Night
Tottenham Hotspur are confident that they will sign Pedro Porro from Sporting CP, 90min understands.
Antonio Conte has been looking to add further quality at wing-back this window and Spurs are closing in on bringing in their number one target in Porro.
Speaking on the Oh What A Night podcast, Sean Walsh and Jude Summerfield discussed what Porro could bring to the side, comparisons with Aaron Lennon, and how he and Udinese loanee Destiny Udogie could be Tottenham's long-awaited successors to Kyle Walker and Danny Rose...
On this edition of Oh What A Night, Sean Walsh and Jude Summerfield look back on Tottenham's last two Premier League games and discuss Spurs' latest transfer business. They talk Arnaut Danjuma, Pedro Porro and Nicolo Zaniolo before looking ahead to Spurs' FA Cup trip to Preston. If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
Jude Summerfield: I think [Porro] is someone we watched earlier in the Champions League this season. Always a bit scared of the old 'playing well against Spurs' curse, if that is a thing. But at least [Tottenham] are having a look at positions that need strengthening. It's a lot of money in terms of long-term future planning, it seems quite wild to spend that.
Sean Walsh: They've got to be high on him to be committing that kind of money. The interesting thing is the assumption before was Spurs will only go for Porro if they shift one of their other right wing-backs first. It changed a little and it seems [Tottenham] are going to do this before one of them is gone. I wonder if that's a case of putting the pressure on those guys to try and find new clubs, whether that's like 'look, Porro's coming in, he's going to be a starter, if you want first team game time, you're going to have to go elsewhere, you've got a few days to sort out a move'. I wonder if that's the play now.
Jude Summerfield: You'd have to think Djed Spence goes on loan.
Sean Walsh: Yeah, we did report yesterday [Tuesday] that Spurs are looking at that now. They're open to that possibility and there seems to be a lot of Premier League teams that want him.
Jude Summerfield: Yeah if he could just go somewhere for six months and just show he's a baller, that'd be great. I hope Porro can play normal full-back [in a back four] as well. If you spend this much on a specialist wing-back, you are tied to it, which is a problem we had a little with [Matt] Doherty when he first came in.
Sean Walsh: It's the same as Udogie, he looks really good in a wing-back role for Udinese. If he can play in a back four as well, [Tottenham] have got two dynamic full-backs for the next half-decade, maybe even longer in Porro and Udogie. That's a game-changer because we haven't had that since Walker and Rose. You could see when they played together it changes [how a team can play] completely. You have great width like that.
Jude Summerfield: They can just carry the ball up the pitch. It's brilliant. It takes the pressure off other players because it's like 'I'm just going to sprint down the touchline with the ball'. It's another way of exerting pressure and we have't had that like you say for so long.
Sean Walsh: I was talking to you earlier about a compilation I watched of Porro last night because I haven't properly sat down and done a lot of homework on him, but I did watch the games he played against us this season. I think I said it last week, he was good but I wasn't coming away from it thinking 'pay the release clause now'. But I did watch this compilation and the player he reminded me most of was Aaron Lennon! He's not got the same pace - he's quick but not Lennon quick. But the way he moves his body, the way he shifts between players, the way he controls the ball, the way he gets to the byline and does the little float cutback cross, I was like 'oh yeah'! And you think, if Udogie could play a bit like pre-AVB Gareth Bale, we're really rolling back the years.
Analysis
For Tottenham to be bringing in their top target in a key position for Conte suggests they are willing to bend to his needs a little more than previously seemed.
The Italian has previously suggested that he wants to sign experienced players whereas the club are focused more on project players, but bringing in Porro would be one fruitful compromise.
Porro would bring much-needed pace and technical ability to Spurs' ranks and should be able to lock down the right wing-back spot relatively easily considering his competition for the role.