Chelsea have been ‘in contact’ with the agent of Sporting CP right wing-back Pedro Porro, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
Porro emerged as a transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of the window, with it being reported that a £35m deal was close, but talks have since continued, due to Spurs wanting to pay his £40m release clause in instalments.
However, right-back is an area of the pitch that the Blues also remain somewhat light, given that Reece James is not expected back until next month due to a knee injury, and they could now swoop for Porro themselves.
In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Phillips claimed that convincing the Spaniard to come in as a back-up option could be tricky, but he is now a priority target for Chelsea.
“Chelsea have spoken to his agent, and at the moment, that’s where we are; they’re in contact with his agent.
“You can consider him as the main target at right-back for Chelsea right now. But again, it is all about convincing the player to come in and play second-fiddle to Reece James.”
TIF thoughts on Porro to Chelsea…
In the absence of James, Trevoh Chalobah has featured in the Chelsea defence in the last three matches, but on the whole he has looked unimpressive, ranked by SofaScore as the joint-worst performing player on the pitch against Fulham.
It is clear that Graham Potter needs a more reliable alternative to James, however Porro’s performances for Sporting indicate that he is worthy of playing regular first-team football, and would perhaps be unwilling to settle for being second choice.
Hailed as ‘incredible’ by sections of the media, the 23-year-old is simply sensational going forward, already laying on his teammates with ten assists this season, with five of these coming in the Primeira Liga, the joint-highest amount of any player.
If Chelsea are able to tempt the former Manchester City man, then it is a move that they should definitely make happen, but it could be a hard sell, given that he would be competing for a place in the starting XI with James.