Porto's summer of upheaval continues as yet another Porto star announces he's leaving the club
Porto star centreback Felipe has announced that he will be leaving Porto this summer.
The Brazilian adds his name to a growing list of players departing the club, or widely anticipated to be departing the club, this summer, as the Portuguese outfit brace themselves for something of a radical overhaul in the upcoming transfer window.
Felipe, 30, has been at Porto for 3 seasons and has been one of the stars of the side during his career in Portugal, but is set to embark on a new challenge having left an emotional message to fans via social media.
He is anticipated to be heading across the border to Spain, where he will join Champions League perennials Atletico Madrid.
He is not the only one expected to be moving to the Spanish capital either, with Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera also expected to be joining Atletico this window.
Herrera’s contract with the club expires next month, allowing the Porto captain to leave for free after 6 years at the Portuguese side.
Even if Atletico turns out not to be his destination, it is now common knowledge that the 70-time Mexican international will not be playing in Portugal next campaign.
And they’re not the only two name widely linked to Atletico Madrid - in fact, the Spanish outfit could be set to make it a trio of Porto signings, with left back Alex Telles another who could be on the verge of leaving the club this summer, Atletico the current front-runners to sign him too.
The turbulent summer exodus does not stop there either; star winger Yacine Brahimi will also be departing this window - also on a free transfer - although the destination of the Algerian winger is not yet clear.
When you then consider the fact that young starlet at the heart of defence Eder Militao has already completed a huge 50 million euro move to Real Madrid, you see the true extent of the upheaval the Portuguese giants face this summer.
These aren’t just bit-part players for Porto, but make up an integral part of the Porto team, with all five players mentioned key players for the side.
And let’s not forget the fact that the summer window has only just begun; with other stars such as Moussa Marega and Jesus Corona also linked with moves away, we await to see the full extent of the exodus Porto will face.
However, all is not lost, with Porto expected to promote at least a couple of youth players, such as Romario Baro and Diogo Leite, who shone for Porto in the UEFA Youth League, to the senior team next season.
