Rejected by Real Madrid and impossible at Barcelona: has Pedro Porro's dream evaporated?
Overcrowding and fair play
He was one of the men who crowned Spain world champions, and he's made no secret of his dream to return to La Liga. Yet Pedro Porro's path to the Bernabeu or the Camp Nou remains blocked, for entirely different reasons.
Javier Herraiz and Santi Ovalle, two renowned journalists, lifted the lid on the "Deportivo SER" programme on Spain's "Cadena SER" radio. They revealed the behind-the-scenes details of both Spanish giants' interest in the Tottenham Hotspur right-back, who in his latest appearance hinted at a desire to return to Spain one day.
In Madrid: overcrowding is strangling the deal
Herraiz admits that "Pedro Porro would be ideal for Real Madrid", yet the deal doesn't rise to the level of a priority at present. The reason? A surplus of names in the right-back position.
"The player knows there is interest, but there are currently two players in his position, and Fede Valverde will play at right-back in all the important matches," Herraiz said live on air. The competition, he pointed out, isn't limited to Carvajal. It extends to names firmly on the table of the Merengues such as Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Arnold's departure, Herraiz suggested, could be the key to Porro's arrival at the Bernabeu. "They say he is not happy here, but when Real Madrid were playing at Liverpool, there was a mural against him. Things have become complicated for him, but for Real Madrid it would not be a bad deal if he were to look for somewhere else."
"Porro is not a priority for Real Madrid at the moment, but he is among their interests," he concluded. "And who knows whether he will return in the summer, because Pedro Porro strongly wishes for that."
In Barcelona: the treasury is the obstacle
At Barcelona, the problem isn't the names but the numbers. Santi Ovalle confirmed that club president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco "admire him greatly, but his price was far too high in the summer".
A complicated financial situation would prevent any move in the near future, Ovalle explained: "Barcelona will again face difficulty with the financial fair play rules, given the many problems they will face in returning to Montjuic. I do not think Barcelona are in a position to allow them to invest heavily in a right-back this summer."
Inside the dressing room, though, the mood is very different. Ovalle pointed out that "Lamine Yamal would be the first of those interested, as his relationship with Porro was excellent during the World Cup". He added: "The dressing room would push for Pedro Porro if possible, as he is a player in the national team, and anything that brings them together at Barcelona would be attractive."
That setback opens the door to internal solutions. Barcelona have in recent weeks begun to rely on academy talent Xavi Espart, amid coach Hansi Flick's warnings about the decline in Alejandro Balde's level. Reinforcing the full-back positions has become an urgent need, one that always collides with the wall of financial fair play.
