Football Espana

Perhaps the very first player to be given the odious comparison with Lionel Messi, Giovani dos Santos was the golden child of the Barcelona academy when he came through the system. At the age of just 31 though, he had already hung up his boots.

Dos Santos enjoyed a good career, playing at Tottenham Hotspur, Ipswich Town, Racing Santander, Mallorca, Villarreal, LA Galaxy and America in Mexico. He also earned 106 caps for El Tri, winning an Olympic gold medal in 2012 at the London Olympics too. However he has not rested on his laurels since retirement.

Fans of French club Brest snapped up all 2,600 tickets for their Champions League match against Barça at the Estadi Olímpic on November 26 in just one minute. @LeTelegramme

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 14, 2024

According to Claro Sports (via Marca), dos Santos is now involved in the petrochemical business, and is making his money as an investor in oil. He is an investor in Procura Mexico, a subsidiary of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), and is earning an estimated salary of betwen $400-500k (€378-473k). He also has a luxury car business, which buys and sells esteemed models.

PEMEX are the state-owned Mexican petroleum company, who are reportedly the seventh-most polluting company in the world. As of 2023, they had assets valued at €129b, and are the second-largest oil company in Latin America.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro has made no secret of his desire to join Real Madrid in previous international breaks since the summer, and it’s a scene that has repeated itself. Los Blancos are looking for the long-term successor to Dani Carvajal, and Porro is one of the players they are watching.

Porro has been impressing for Spurs this season, and looks as if he will be the first choice right-back for La Roja with Carvajal out for the rest of the season, and Jesus Navas retiring after the summer. Porro spoke to El Desmarque upon joining up with the Spain squad, and did not hide his ambitions.

“I am focused on my work. I’m 25 years old, at 26 I don’t know where I could be, football is like that. I am settled in English football, I have a contract until 2028. My name and others come up [in relation to Real Madrid], but I am focused on my club and now with the national team. My friends send me rumours, it’s a compliment, but I’m focused. It is the result of a job well done that one of the best clubs in the world notices me.”

The right-back said that the three things he hated most about living in England were the rain, the food and the cold, while giving a 7/10 evaluation of how keen he was to return to La Liga.

For Porro, his hopes of joining Real Madrid look likely to be dashed by Trent Alexander-Arnold, as he is seemingly Los Blancos’ top target this summer. They will look sign him on a free or on a cut-price deal in January, which is another major obstacle for Porro. Tottenham are unlikely to let Porro go without making a healthy profit on the €45m they spent on him, bearing in mind he has a contract until 2028.

Rayo Vallecano are likely preparing to lose right-back Andrei Ratiu next summer, as interest grows in the Romanian international. Valencia are reported to be keeping tabs on him, and now, interest has arrived from the Premier League.

As reported by CaughtOffside, Tottenham Hotspur have registered their interest in Ratiu, as they make preparations for a possible approach from Real Madrid for Pedro Porro, who is on Los Blancos’ right-back shortlist.

Ratiu is reported to have a €25m release clause in this Rayo contract, and if this were activated, it would be a very nice amount to receive for the Vallecas-based club. However, it’s also noted that they would be open to negotiating, meaning that Spurs could sign him for less if they push for a deal.

Sevilla’s current recruitment model is based largely on signing talented youngsters with an upside, and bringing loan stars from bigger sides, as they try to bring down their wage bill. That has seen Sporting Director Victor Orta exercise his contacts book, and he may try to do so again in January.

As per MuchoDeporte (via ED), Sevilla are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur youngster Archie Gray on loan in the January transfer window. The highly rated 18-year-old has seen just 303 minutes of action so far this season, and is yet to start a Premier League game. The three starts he has made have come in the Europa League and League Cup. Orta knows Gray well from when he was at Leeds United, and Gray was in the academy.

Our Archie 🤍 pic.twitter.com/mw5FiDVZMf

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 23, 2024

The Seville-based paper do note that Spurs’ social media account tweeted out ‘Our Archie’ shortly after that report. Postecoglou is no doubt trying to ease Gray into the team after a €41.25m move this summer. It would be a surprise if they were willing to loan out such an expensive investment, although if he remains just as short of game time, then perhaps that may force the situation.

In 2025, Real Madrid are expected to be in the market for a new right-back. Dani Carvajal’s season-ending knee injury has brought forward plans to address the position, which currently does not have a long-term holder.

Carvajal will be at Real Madrid for next season, having already signed a one-year contract extension. However, Lucas Vazquez’s deal ends in 2025, so he could be moved on if a replacement is signed – Trent Alexander-Arnold is wanted by Los Blancos, although he would only arrive as a free agent.

Pedro Porro has been identified as an Alexander-Arnold alternative, although Football Insider say that Tottenham Hotspur would not let the Spain international leave easily. According to the report, an asking price of £80m (€96m) has been set by the Premier League giants.

Sevilla have had an indifferent start to the new season, and one area that they continue to struggle is in midfield. Saul Niguez, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Lucien Agoume were signed during the summer, but for head coach Francisco Javier Garcia Pimienta, more options appear to be needed.

Sporting director Victor Orta will be tasked with this pursuit ahead of the winter transfer window, and a familiar face to him is wanted. According to Muchodeporte (via Diario AS), Archie Gray is one of the targets being considered by Los Nervionenses.

Orta was with Gray when they both at Leeds United – Orta as sporting director, Gray as a youth academy player. The latter is now at Tottenham Hotspur, although he is not playing too much these weeks, which is why a January loan move could be on the cards.

Real Madrid are set to move for a right-back in 2025, as a result of the serious knee injury sustained by Dani Carvajal two weeks ago. A deal is likely to be sought next summer rather than January, although club officials are already working on possible targets.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is Real Madrid’s priority, although they would have to move on if he signs a new contract with Liverpool before his existing deal ends in June. If that does happen, Pedro Porro is one of the alternatives that Los Blancos are looking at – and according to GiveMeSport, Tottenham Hotspur would be “willing to entertain offers”.

Porro has established himself as Spain’s starting right-back in Carvajal’s absence, and given his age, he would be someone that falls into Real Madrid’s signing policy.

Barcelona are always on the lookout for top young talent, which they can use to eventually bed into the first team through La Masia. Numerous players have been signed from across the world, although they have also missed out on plenty.

It’s now been revealed that one of the players that they failed to sign was Micky van de Ven, who has been making a name for myself at Tottenham Hotspur over the last 14-15 months. Bojan Krkic Sr. has revealed to Carrusel Deportivo that he told Barcelona to sign the Dutch defender, and although a deal had been in place for just €3.5m, it was not executed.

‼️📢 Las conversaciones entre bambalinas de #elBar103 desvelan que el @FCBarcelona estuvo CERCA de firmar a Micky van de Ven

👉 Bojan Krkic Sr.: "Era más rápido que Mbappé. Les llamé e insistí en Barcelona, porque le teníamos por 3 millones y medio. No se ejecutó al final…" pic.twitter.com/on3GZIc3v3

— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) October 15, 2024

Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso did not take long to attract attention for his performances after arriving last January. So much so that they were able to barter with his future for their star signing this summer. The USMNT midfielder has not had the easiest of starts to the season, but is still attracting admiring glances.

According to Diario AS, AC Milan are looking at Cardoso as a potential option to replace Ismael Bennacer, who is out injured long-term. The Algerian was also linked with a late move away from San Siro. They say that his price would make a deal difficult, and Betis are not concerned about losing him in January.

As part of the deal to bring in Giovani Lo Celso, Betis agreed to a €25m future purchase clause for Tottenham Hotspur for Cardoso. If Betis sell him elsewhere, then Spurs will also earn a percentage of the deal too. If indeed that is the asking price for Cardoso, then Spurs will likely have an advantage in the pursuit for his signature, beyond the clause itself.

Tottenham Hotspur right-back Pedro Porro has said that he feels ready to take on the challenge of making the jump to Real Madrid, and potentially replacing Dani Carvajal. The 25-year-old has been in fine form for Spurs under Ange Postecoglou, and with Jesus Navas retired and Carvajal injured, has another shot in the national team.

Interviewed by Relevo while on Spain duty, Porro was asked about links to Real Madrid, after Carvajal was ruled out for the rest of the season.

“It fills you with excitement, doesn’t it? You have to be focused on your work, but hey, the fact that Real Madrid is interested in you is because you are doing things well. This is how I think on a day-to-day basis. Well, if that time has to come, it will come. And if it doesn’t arrive, well, [I’ll] continue working as before.”

He was also asked if felt he was ready to replace Carvajal, either for Spain or for Real Madrid, and did little to distance himself from a move again.

“Yes. Obviously yes, because as I told you, I try to work and give my best every day. If I get the opportunity to take that leap tomorrow, I will be prepared for that very reason. I will have much more experience. If you had told me this years ago, I would have told you I wasn’t. Because I am honest. Let’s see what happens.”

Porro went on to reveal that he spent the last international break in the Spanish capital too, and that he was a fan of the city. He lived in Vallecas previously while playing for Rayo Vallecano, and explained that he had a long-term passion for the place.

“Good, good, yeah. I have always loved Madrid. Additionally, during the last break I was also here. I was at the zoo. It is a city that I love.”

Los Blancos have been heavily linked with Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is available on a free next summer. Porro does have a contract with Spurs until 2028, so Real Madrid would likely have to spend big in order to bring him in, but they will likely have to address the position in the near future, with both Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez into their thirties.