Norwich City striker Mohamed Touré is now said to be a target for Porto, just a day after reports dismissed the possibility.
Wednesday brought a pretty clear message from Portugal. Two of the most important local outlets said Touré had been offered or suggested to Porto and Sporting.
They also agreed the Portuguese clubs weren’t planning to pursue him. But things may have changed quickly.
Another trusted outlet, Correio da Manhã now report Touré is “in the sights” of Porto. They say the 22-year-old is being considered to strengthen their attack.
Mora exit may have changed things
There’s an obvious development between the two sets of reports. Porto have completed the sale of Rodrigo Mora to AS Roma, and Correio da Manhã specifically links their interest in Touré to that departure.
The Portuguese side also have problems elsewhere in attack. Samu is injured, while there are concerns over André Silva’s fitness. Also, Deniz Gül has struggled to make his mark and could still leave before the window closes.
That perhaps explains why Touré can go from being a player Porto wouldn’t explore to a potential target within 24 hours.
Correio da Manhã value the Norwich forward at around €8m (£6.9m). They believe Porto have an attractive card to play in any negotiations with the Australian. Champions League football could help convince him to make the move.
Touré played three matches for Australia at this summer’s World Cup. He’s also started the Championship season with one goal and one assist in two games.
Hull City also in the race
There’s another interesting detail for Norwich City in Thursday’s report. Correio da Manhã say Hull City are also “in the race” for Touré.
The Tigers won promotion to the Premier League last season and will naturally need to strengthen for the step up. Touré would offer them something useful in that regard. He already knows English football and wouldn’t need to adapt to a new country or league system.
The newspaper doesn’t provide details of an approach or offer from Hull, so there’s no indication yet of how advanced their interest might be.
For Norwich, though, Touré’s situation suddenly looks busier than it did a few days ago.
His name has been circulating in Portugal and was offered to Porto. The Dragons initially appeared uninterested, but Mora’s departure may have changed the picture. Now Hull have been added to the equation as well.
