Summer transfer window: potential transfers to watch out for
The January transfer window may have come to a halt, but speculation continues as to who could go where come the end of the current campaign.
It is notoriously difficult to conduct transfer business in the winter window; while it offers 31 days to resolve some of the most pressing immediate issues within a potentially depleted squad, rarely is it a good time to invest big bucks for the long-term.
That business is typically reserved for the summer break; a longer time to negotiate potential deals, no competitive fixtures to get in the way of business, the ability to focus on a fresh season rather than salvaging one that's already well underway. And, of course, the perfect venue to do some window shopping with the Euros taking place.
And here, we take a look at some of the names associated with Portuguese football that could potentially be on the move come August - and estimate where they could potentially be heading.
Nehuen Perez
One of the many noteworthy players in one of the Primeira Liga's standout teams. Nehuen Perez has played his part in Famalicão's remarkable season so far.
Alongside Tapsoba, who recently completed a move to Bayer Leverkusen from Vitoria Guimarães for up to €25million, Perez has been one of the defenders to watch outside of the Big Three in the Portuguese game, particularly with him being aged just 19 too.
Unfortunately for Famalicão, though, Perez is only on loan at the club, residing in Portugal on a temporary basis from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid. It is therefore very difficult to imagine Perez staying at Famalicão permanently beyond this season, even if they are having a stellar campaign and are within shouting distance of a Europa League place for next season.
Superagent Jorge Mendes was obviously involved in facilitating Perez's move from Atletico to Famalicão, Mendes having close connections to both clubs, and, as a Gestifute client, potential destinations for Perez aren't difficult to predict - that is, if Atletico are looking to let him leave the club in the summer.
Wolves are an obvious option - it's well known they've been looking at defensive cover at centreback, even considering an audacious move for Benfica's Ruben Dias in the summer, according to reports in England. Wolves fit the bill as a club on the Mendes carousel too, while the fact he is young also gives him the profile of a typical Wolves signing, so a top prospect like Perez joining the West Midlands club would come as no surprise.
Olympiakos could also be a potential destination for him - another club Mendes has links to. Olympiakos may also be looking for a centreback come the summer, as we'll come to later.
A move to any club could just be on loan though, with Perez making it clear that his aspiration is to play for Atletico, or another club of that stature. He could even remain at Atletico next season, though whether he'll get sufficient game time is another matter.
Potential clubs: Wolves, Olympiakos.
Alex Telles
In addition to Nehuen Perez, Alex Telles could also be swapping the Portuguese coastline for the English Premier League. Telles is one of seven high-profile players at Porto whose contracts expire in August 2021. This summer is therefore Porto's last chance to sell those unwilling to sign a new contract.
And Telles is likely to be one of those. After several excellent years in Portugal, he's been a fantastic servant to the club, and has been one of their most consistent performers. The expectation, though, is that he will be seeking a new challenge in a new league, despite his clear adoration for the club, and undoubtedly there will be no shortage of interest in the Brazilian full back.
One potential club for the 27-year old is Manchester City. While the English champions have still been one of the best in Europe this season, they have set the standards so high that it will undoubtedly be considered a disappointing one - unless they lift the Champions League, of course.
In any case, it is widely perceived that a few fresh faces are needed at the club to compete on all fronts again, and Alex Telles is a perfect player to bring in to strengthen the side in the left back department.
Potential club(s): Manchester City.
João Carvalho
While we could see Perez and Telles make the trip to England in the summer, it is also incredibly feasible that we'll be seeing Carvalho head in the opposite direction and move to Greek giants Olympiakos.
Carvalho has been out of favour at Nottingham Forest this campaign, and a lot will have to change in this second half of the season for him to remain on the books of the Championship outfit beyond August.
The obvious - and dare it be said, most likely - destination for Carvalho in the 2020-21 season is Olympiakos. With both Forest and Oly sharing the same Greek owner, it is undoubtedly the most plausible scenario; Forest's investment is returned, Olympiakos get a very decent player in return, and the owner maintains the opportunity of potentially making a profit on the player in the future.
Olympiakos will also be keen to bolster their attacking options in the summer due to the loss of Daniel Podence. They attempted to bring in Benfica's Serbian winger Zivkovic, who ultimately chose to stay at the Lisbon club despite being well out of the first-team picture.
Potential club(s): Olympiakos.
Danilo Pereira
Another player who is expected to be on the move this summer is Danilo Pereira. Porto could be facing yet another rebuilding exercise come August, with Danilo tipped to be another player seeking pastures new after the Euros.
Danilo has been another great servant at Porto, but after a falling out with Sergio Conceição earlier in the season, there has always been the expectation that he would move on in August, even if he has continued to play.
Where he could go, however, is not as clear. La Liga is always a very possible option for top performers in the Primeira Liga, and it is very easy to imagine him making the move to Valencia or the like.
Another possibility, though, is further afield - perhaps Serie A. After all, it was well documented that AC Milan were keen on signing Florentino Luis this window, and Benfica did conduct negotiations, but there wasn't sufficient willingness from the Portuguese champions for that move to transpire.
Should Milan fail in their attempts to lure the young Benfica star, Danilo is another highly competent - and realistic - option.
A move to France also seems more than plausible, with a healthy Portuguese contingent plying their trade in Ligue 1. AS Monaco are still struggling to recapture that form they once showed under ex-manager Leonardo Jardim, and a recruit of Danilo's quality could be exactly what they need.
Potential club(s): Valencia, AC Milan, Monaco.
Carlos Vinicius
Benfica received an offer of €60million from an unnamed English club for Carlos Vinicius in January; a decent return for a player who cost just shy of €20M in August. Benfica, though, declined the offer - understandably so.
Vinicius has been scoring for fun in Portugal, and having already let Raul de Tomas leave, there just weren't sufficient attacking options for Benfica to allow another to depart.
But Benfica were never likely to accept; as club president Luis Filipe Vieira recently implied, the expectation is that he will be sold, as soon as this summer, but for the full price of his release clause: €100million.
He stood firm on his stance when it came to João Felix, making it clear that he would only be sold for his release clause - and lo and behold, that's exactly what happened.
Not many clubs can afford to spend €100million though, let alone on a single player, which really limits the potential destinations for the Brazilian.
A move to the Premier League isn't out of the question, though not many could afford what Benfica will be demanding. Spain is also plausible, one of the big three in the country may well be considering an approach, but the most likely destination would appear to be PSG.
With a wealth of financial backing, the potential departure of their two stars Mbappe and Neymar, and the need to fill the gap left behind by the impending departure of Cavani, PSG could be an ideal match.
Potential club(s): PSG.
Moussa Marega
Another of the seven Porto stars whose contracts expire in 18 months, Marega has been linked with a move to England for the past 3 windows now, but he remains on the books of the Portuguese League Cup finalists.
It feels that it's only a matter of time, though, until he finally moves on, and his contract situation could force Porto's hand - and ensure he's available for a slightly discounted price.
One club that have been interested over the past year or so is West Ham. Marega could be the perfect fit, should they maintain their Premier League status.
Another option is Newcastle. In a similar manner, should they remain in the Premier League, they could also be deemed a highly plausible destination.
There are clubs outside England also interested, of course. Sevilla are believed to be one club to have considered a bid for the Mali international in recent times, coached by former Porto boss Julen Lopetegui, while Marseille could also reignite their summer interest, who are also currently managed by a former Porto head coach themselves in Andre Vilas Boas.
Possible club(s): West Ham, Newcastle, Sevilla, Marseille.
Jose Sá
The Portuguese goalkeeper could be another Portuguese player to depart Olympiakos, having had a couple of very strong seasons in Greece.
Yet to be given a senior international cap, Sá is already very much established in the Portugal squad, even if he hasn't yet been able to pull on a Portugal jersey. That is because of Rui Patricio's firm grip on the spot between the sticks, though, rather than a lack of quality from the part of Sá.
He too could be in for a move to England, and again Wolves are a plausible option, particularly with the future of current deputy 'keeper John Ruddy at the club far from certain.
Sá would be an outstanding option as a backup shot-stopper, and an ideal long-term replacement for Patricio. The big question, though, is whether Sá would be willing to accept a backup role.
Other Premier League clubs could also be interested; Chelsea are reportedly currently looking for a goalkeeper - could Sá be their man? - while West Ham could look to Sá should Fabianski depart.
Potential club(s): Wolves, Chelsea, West Ham.
Sergio Oliveira
The third and final Porto player on this list is Sergio Oliveira. The Porto midfielder has had an interesting career at the club, getting some game time before being loaned out to Paços Ferreira for two seasons, returning to his parent club and breaking back into the Porto setup before being loaned out to AEK Athens, before then once again coming back to Porto for this season, where he has again been given chances in the team.
However, he, like Alex Telles, is facing his contract expiry in the summer of 2021, and Porto may be looking to cash in for him while they can.
Equally, even if they do tie him down to a longer contract, a loan move is feasible, and Nottingham Forest, who were tentatively linked with the player over the January window, is a very plausible destination.
The main question, though, is whether Porto will be willing to let both Danilo and Sergio Oliveira go this summer. It could be a case of one or the other, rather than both.
Potential club(s): Nottingham Forest
Ruben Semedo
The Portuguese centreback has had his high profile controversies, but out of Spain and letting his football do the talking, he's turned his career around - and many clubs would be willing to afford him a second chance.
This is even more likely considering the overriding quality of Ruben Semedo. An accomplished centreback, who has been in Fernando Santos’ most recent Portugal squads and is very much in frame to get a call-up to the Euros this summer, his previous misdemeanors appear to be in the past.
Where could he go, though? That's the big question. He played for Sporting before moving to Villarreal, where he failed to make any kind of impact at all, at least on the pitch. It seems unlikely he'll return to a top Spanish side, therefore, even if he is proving to be a very solid performer nowadays.
Sporting also seems unlikely; could they afford him, or his wages? Would Semedo want to return? Is that a sufficient step up, if a step-up at all?
So Spain and Portugal both seem unlikely destinations. Italy is possible, his game certainly suits the football in Serie A, and linking up with Paulo Fonseca at Roma is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Wolves, of course, are another club who aren't out of the question with the Portuguese contingent already at the club. A move to one of Turkey's top clubs as they look to rebuild is also feasible, Besiktas perhaps an option for him, where he'd follow in the footsteps of Portugal legend Pepe.
In truth, though, his is the most difficult future to predict of all the players on this list; who would be able to look past the serious allegations surrounding him and give him another chance?
Potential club(s): Roma, Wolves, Besiktas.
