Tottenham are close to finalising the signing of Sporting Lisbon defender Pedro Porro; there is growing optimism this transfer will be completed before Tuesday's transfer deadline; the deal will be an initial loan with an obligation to buy; Matt Doherty to join Atletico Madrid on loan
Tuesday 31 January 2023 22:54, UK
Tottenham have finally made a breakthrough in their talks with Sporting Lisbon to sign defender Pedro Porro on an initial loan deal.
The move is now close to being finalised after intensive talks and there is growing optimism the transfer will be completed before the deadline. The deal will be an initial loan for £5m with an obligation to buy for a fee rising to £39m.
Porro flew to London in the early hours of Tuesday morning and a deal could be completed imminently, with the wing-back scheduled to undergo his Tottenham medical on Deadline Day.
Spurs are believed to be making structured payments towards the £39m fee - the defender's release clause - with the move becoming permanent from July 1.
Tottenham are also giving up 15 per cent of their sell-on clause for Marcus Edwards, who moved from Tottenham to Portuguese football in 2019.
Edwards joined Vitoria de Guimaraes that year, before moving to Sporting in January of last year.
Meanwhile, Tottenham right-back Matt Doherty is set to join Atletico Madrid on loan.
Sky Sports News' Michael Bridge reporting live from Tottenham's training ground on Tuesday morning:
"Spurs fans were waking up yesterday to read 'deal off'. They're waking up this morning to 'deal on'!
"Tottenham were back in negotiations with Sporting all day yesterday. My understanding was Sporting moved the goalposts late on Sunday evening when Spurs thought a deal had been agreed over the weekend.
"They have been sorting out the structure of the fee and Marcus Edwards - a former Tottenham player at Sporting - renegotiating a potential sell-on fee if he does leave Sporting in the future.
"Porro flew into London around 3am this morning, so he will hopefully be a Spurs player in the next few hours.
"I'm told he's very excited to join this football club.
"I can also confirm that Matt Doherty is joining Atletico Madrid on loan - this is a straight loan until the end of the season I understand, no option or obligation. Doherty is heading to LaLiga."
Sky Sports' Nick Wright:
Antonio Conte's preferred 3-4-2-1 system requires effective wing-backs and while Ivan Perisic has strengthened their left side, their right has been neglected. Until now.
Pedro Porro is set to arrive at Spurs having emerged as one of the most exciting young players in Europe in the position with Sporting Lisbon, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists in 67 Primeira Liga appearances since joining from Girona in 2019.
He helped the Portuguese side win a league and cup double in his first season at the club and that success allowed him to test himself against Champions League opposition, including Spurs this season, and Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City last term.
He embraced that challenge, proving his ability to excel at the highest level both in and out of possession, but it's his attacking threat which is key to his appeal to Conte and Spurs.
So far this season, Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty have managed only two goals and one assist between them in a combined total of 28 Premier League appearances.
The Brazilian has been first choice for most of the campaign and a deeper look at the numbers shows even more starkly the contrast between his output and Porro's.
Porro has created seven times as many chances per 90 minutes than Emerson and his numbers for assists, crosses, shots and successful dribbles are considerably higher too. He represents a significant upgrade for Spurs in a crucial position.
Rennes have agreed a deal with Tottenham to sign right-back Djed Spence.
The deal is a straight loan with no option to buy.
Meanwhile, Spurs winner Bryan Gil has seen his loan move to Sevilla confirmed just before Deadline Day.
There is no option to buy, meaning the winger will return to Spurs, where his contract runs until 2026, in the summer. The 21-year-old joined Tottenham from the LaLiga club in 2021 in a £21.6m switch which included Erik Lamela also moving to Sevilla as part of the deal. However, Gil has only made 13 appearances for Spurs, having also spent time on loan at Valencia last season.
The move comes after new winger Arnaut Danjuma made his debut in Tottenham's 3-0 win at Preston on the weekend.
Gil was disappointed by Danjuma's arrival. He thought he had done enough to impress coaches during the last few weeks, performing well in a 4-0 victory at Crystal Palace earlier this month.
Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 11pm on Tuesday January 31, 2023.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
