Pedro Porro “never spoke” to Pep Guardiola before the defender was sold by Manchester City, but he has flourished in Lisbon and is now set to return to the Premier League as “Antonio Conte’s son”.
Defender Pedro Porro is set to return to the Premier League and join Tottenham from Sporting Lisbon on deadline day.
After doubts over whether the move would go ahead, Spurs appear to have backed off their deal for Porro after agreeing a £40m fee, according to talkSPORT.
The attacking full-back established himself in Portugal after being loaned to Sporting in 2020 before signing a permanent contract last summer.
He was a key member of the club’s 2021 championship squad before being named in the league’s team of the season.
Porro’s form then continued last campaign as he was rewarded for his fine run and made the Team of the Season for the second consecutive year.
This season, he scored three goals and provided 11 assists in 26 games.
In total, the 23-year-old has made 67 appearances for Sporting and his performances have attracted a lot of interest from the Premier League.
Although he once played for English teams, he never made a single appearance.
Porro signed for Man City in 2019 but never played a game for Pep Guardiola’s side before leaving three years later.
He said he never spoke to the manager during his time in Manchester after leaving the club for good.
Responding to claims he was not on good terms with Guardiola, he told A Bola: “No, I have never spoken to Pep Guardiola.
“I don’t think he even knows he hired me [laughs]. But they must know what I did.
Porro is now set to reunite with his former boss against Tottenham, with his move set to expire on deadline day.
His manager at Sporting Lisbon, Ruben Amorim, praised his performance, admitting he is “Antonio Conte’s son” with a transfer imminent.
Amorim said: “Our relationship is very close and he will be missed. In football, you get used to change from a young age. One day they are our children, our best friends, and now he is Tale’s son.
“If we play against him, I know his challenges… my players are always the best players in the world. Porro will be a player for another team and I wish them luck.
“A player with Porro’s characteristics cannot be fixed, so they hit his point.
“Looking at a player on the right side and with a lot of goals and assists, we have to try to score another goal, we will.”
Amorim’s reaction bodes well for the Spurs, who have a special young player on their hands who will need to improve.
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