Manchester United are targeting Tottenham Hotspur right-back Pedro Porro and will have to do battle with Real Madrid and Manchester City to secure his services, according to reports in Spain.
Porro to United is an easy link to make, as the 25-year-old played nearly 100 times for Sporting Lisbon under new United boss Ruben Amorim.
And according to AS, via Sport Witness, the Red Devils are “interested in hiring” the Spaniard to bolster Amorim’s options in the wing-back positions which are so key to his 3-4-3 formation.
The report claims that United are up against their crosstown rivals and Real Madrid in their pursuit of Porro. But the player’s entourage are “convinced” United will make a move for him due to the “excellent” relationship he has with Amorim.
It is felt that this relationship could be significant should a move materialise, but it would be a surprise to see United spend heavily on a right-back.
The Spain international’s deal runs until 2028, and AS report that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would not entertain offers under €70m. And Amorim already has two good options at right-back in Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui.
Both players would be desperate for a clear run in their natural role, having both been required to fill in on the other side of the defence.
Left-back is one of United’s problem positions, where long-running injury issues have kept Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia sidelined, causing other players to be dragged out of position to fill the void.
As such, should the Red Devils spend big on a full-back it would make much more sense for them to be left sided.
Porro is a crucial part of Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs side and has featured heavily for them at right-back this season.
In 67 games for Spurs he has scored eight goals and assisted 12, showing a strong attacking element to his game.
But should Amorim be reunited with the player, he would be hoping for a return to the kind of swashbuckling form he enjoyed at Sporting, where he scored 12 and assisted 20 in 98 appearances.
Featured image Tom Dulat via Getty Images
Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
