‘Mourinho takes Dalot’ is obviously the big story in the Portuguese press today, as Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement with the Porto fullback.
The Red Devils are expected to pay for the player’s €20m release clause soon, with Porto not having much of a say in the sale.
With several local newspaper reporting the deal, there’s only one thing that is still in doubt: when will the move be announced? Two different sources say it should only be made next week, and it makes sense after all.
Let’s start with the story from Jornal de Notícias. They claim that Manchester United have requested a meeting with Porto for the start of the next week.
The Premier League’s side intention would be to negotiate a fee, but the Dragons won’t accept a penny less, forcing United to pay the €20m anyway.
Newspaper O Jogo, whose front page you can see attached, has the complete explanation why the deal isn’t being done immediately. They claim that the release clause can only be triggered after the 1st of July, so United are actually working to make the signing before that.
Just like Manchester United would rather get the player soon and avoid the competition, or giving him the money to pay for the release clause, Porto also prefer to sell him before the end of the financial year, which finishes on June 30.
So the clubs should end up finding an agreement for the same amount as the release clause, or something really close to it. This is not a problem, but it will take a few days more than simply triggering the clause.
Porto seem to be pretty mad at Dalot’s agent Carlos Gonçalves, who kept postponing the meetings for a new contract and has now agreed a deal with Manchester United. With the youngster getting a much better salary at Old Trafford and the chance to fight for Antonio Valencia’s spot, Porto never had much of a chance to fight against the offer.
