Manchester City could benefit from making a late swoop for the Sporting Lisbon ace this January
Manchester City supporters will have been taken by surprise on Monday when they discovered that Joao Cancelo was on the way out of the Etihad Stadium.
Cancelo has been out of favour with Pep Guardiola since the World Cup. However, having recently signed a contract extension, it is shocking that City have taken the move to part ways with their full-back.
With the loan to Bayern Munich likely to be made permanent in the summer, City may need to be on the lookout for cover. Nathan Ake has performed well at full-back but further strength in that position could be vital for the Blues as they wish to overcome their packed schedule.
That is where Pedro Porro comes in. MEN Sport has taken a look at the four benefits there are to making a move for the ex-City and current Sporting Lisbon defender.
1) He will be cheap
The first key benefit is that Porro would be a cheap acquisition for Guardiola. When City parted company with the 23-year-old, they inserted a €20m (£16.9m) buy-back clause in his deal just for them.
Other clubs will be looking at spending €45m (£38m) if they wish to sign the Spanish defender. Financially it makes sense to bring him back.
2) He is in fine form
Porro has gone from strength to strength. His 11 assists in 26 matches have caught the attention of Europe’s big clubs and you can imagine that he would be able to slot into the Guardiola full-back role seamlessly.
3) He knows the club
Sometimes the trouble with signing players in January is that they need time to settle into their new surroundings. For Porro that should not be an issue.
He is already used to the demands of working under Guardiola and although he may feel aggrieved to have been sold by City in the summer, Porro will surely be desperate to prove that he can perform at this level.
4) It will hinder a Premier League rival
Perhaps this is the least important benefit but swooping in and signing Porro ahead of Tottenham this window would surely throw Spurs into chaos. The North London club have been pushing hard to sign the Sporting man and should City jump in ahead of them with just over 24 hours of the window remaining, Antonio Conte’s side may not have the time to find an alternative.
SOURCE: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
