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The Portugal Report 025

Edition 025 – September 5, 2023

The Summer Transfer Market Part 2

Benfica loan striker Goncalo Ramos to PSG for the season with a mandatory buy clause for €65M with add ons that can see the deal raise to €80M

The Cristiano Ronaldo effect sees a host of big name players make move to Saudi League this summer

Saudi Pro League lands Porto big fish Otavio

FC Porto make host of moves in final weeks of window

A pair of Joao’s make loan moves to Barcelona

The Saudi Pro League continued to throw their money around in the second half of the summer transfer window and Al-Nassr after multiple failed attempts landed FC Porto midfielder Otavio for a mouth watering €60M fee. Otavio will earn €15M a season over the next three years while with Al-Nassr. The 28 year old leaves FC Porto after spending the past nine seasons as a member of the club after arriving in the summer of 2014 from Brazilian club Internacional. Otavio captured nine trophies in his time at Porto with three of those being the League Championship. Otavio was also named the Portuguese League player of the season during the 2022/23 campaign. Otavio joins Portuguese teammate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr as the pair look to achieve titles in their time with the Saudi club.
FC Porto waited until the final weeks of the summer transfer window to make their splash as they prepare to fight for the Portuguese crown this season and try to take it to another level in the Champions League. After landing Gil Vicente striker Fran Navarro during the first few days of the summer transfer window, Porto added four more players before the window closed four days ago. FC Porto brought in stand out midfielder Ivan Jaime from Famalicao for €10M signing him for five seasons, acquired midfielder Alan Varela from Boca Juniors for €8M and added a pair of Ajax players on loan in right back Jorge Sanchez and winger Francisco Conceicao, who makes his return to Porto after joining the Dutch side last summer.
Barcelona waited right up to deadline day to make a Portuguese splash on the summer transfer window when they land a pair of Joao’s on loan for the season. Barcelona acquired right back Joao Cancelo from Man City and then added Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix just moments later, with both players arriving on loans from their respective clubs for the season. Felix actually signed a new contract with Atletico just before the loan extending his contract until the summer of 2029 and he also took a 50% pay cut to make the move happen. Both players loan moves do not include options to make the moves permanent at the end of the season. The two players both made their Barcelona debuts this past weekend, appearing as substitutes off the bench in La Liga action.

Everton make move for Udinese’s Beto

Everton landed the striker they have been looking at for some time when they acquired Udinese’s Beto just a few days before the window closed. Everton paid €25M for the 25 year old who spent the past two seasons with the Italian club.

Matheus Nunes adds depth to Man City

Matheus Nunes’ time at the Wolves is over after the midfielder moved to defending champions Man City on deadline day for €62M. Nunes spent just a season with the Wolves after arriving from Sporting before joining City

Andre Silva changes clubs once again

Andre Silva will be joining his fifth club in the past seven seasons after his loan move to Real Sociedad from RB Leipzig. The 27 year old will looking for regular playing time with the move, which includes an option to buy at the conclusion of the season.