Spurs struck gold on "titanic" ace worth millions more than Archie Gray

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image

It's been over two weeks since the transfer window swung open, and while there hasn't been much in the way of movement for English clubs in that time, Tottenham Hotspur are starting to stir.

Ange Postecoglou's side have been linked with a plethora of talented players in recent weeks, be that Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace or Riccardo Calafiori of Bologna, but in the last 36 hours or so, they have made a significant move to bring in their first permanent signing of the window: Archie Gray.

The move received the Fabrizio Romano "here we go" seal of authenticity yesterday, and while the Englishman is undoubtedly an exciting addition, the club already have a player who can play in one of his positions, and he's worth millions more than the 18-year-old gem.

Pedro Porro's Tottenham career

The player in question is none other than Spanish right-back Pedro Porro.

The 24-year-old dynamo joined Spurs from Portuguese giants Sporting CP on an initial loan deal in February last year before he was signed permanently for a hefty fee of around £39m.

In his first half-season in North London, the Don-Benito star was a reasonably regular face in the team, but of his 17 appearances under then-manager Antonio Conte, 13 were starts as a right-sided midfielder or right wing-back, where he scored three goals and provided three assists.

However, following the appointment of Postecoglou last summer, the "titanic" defender, as dubbed by The Athletic's former Spurs correspondent Charlie Eccleshare, moved back into a more traditional right-back role, where he started 37 times, scoring four goals and providing seven assists to average a goal involvement every 3.36 games for the Australian.

This imposing form has seen the 5 foot 8 dynamo become an integral part of the Lilywhites' starting lineup over the last 12 months, so while Gray spent the majority of last season playing there, he'll have a serious fight on his hands if he's expecting to stay on the right side of defence.

Moreover, the teenager may cost a lot, but Porro is worth even more.

Porro's valuation in 2024

Gray's move to North London is set to cost Daniel Levy and Co a cool £40m or so once they dot the i's and cross the t's, and while that's a significant amount of money, it's still less than the valuation of Porro.

According to the CIES Football Observatory, the Spaniard's conservative valuation is €52m, which is around £44m, but his higher valuation comes in at a whopping €66m, which is £56m, or £16m more than the club are set to pay Leeds for their exciting wonderkid.

Now, there are a couple of reasons why the former Sporting man is valued so highly, and the first is quite obvious: he's just that good.

His tally of 11 goal involvements in 37 games last season is imposing, and according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, he's in the top 5% of full-backs for total shots, the top 7% for blocks, and the top 8% for non-penalty expected goals and assists, all per 90.

The second reason for his significant value is that his £85k-per-week contract is set to run until summer 2028, meaning the club is not under any pressure to sell or renew at the moment.

Ultimately, Gray looks like he will be a tremendous signing for the club regardless of where he plays, but Spurs are also fortunate to have such a valuable player in Porro at the club.