Porto FC sets to sign Nigerian midfielder

Porto FC win race to sign Eagles midfielder

Portuguese Primeira Liga giants Porto have reportedly won the race to sign Nigeria’s Oghenekaro Etebo from   their struggling rivals Feirense during the January transfer window.

The box-to-box midfielder, who has slipped-down the pecking order at the Super Eagles since Wilfred Ndidi broke into the first team after  making a  £17m move from Genk to  Leicester City  last January,  became one of the hottest properties  in Europe  after helping Nigeria win bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The 22-year-old was linked with a move to the likes of Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce and Leicester City  during the summer transfer market, but Etebo remained at  his small Portuguese club  as Fogaceiros reportedly demanded a big transfer fee for the  player they bought on the cheap from Warri Wolves last year.

Etebo  in October   penned a contract  extension  that will keep him at  the 5,401-capacity Estádio Marcolino de Castro  until  2019.

According to reports in the Portuguese media, Feirense also slapped  a €10m  release clause on the player’s head.

Radio e Televisao de Portugal reported on Sunday Primeira Liga leaders   Porto   had agreed a deal with Feirense for  their Nigerian import to swap the small   Estadio Marcolino de Castro   for the 50,033-capacity Estadio do Dragao next month.

The radio station said the Dragons had agreed to pay Feirense €6m  for the attacking midfielder. However, reports say Porto would pay half of the player’s transfer fee and pay the remaining later.

The influential Lisbon-based sports newspaper A Bola also reported that Etebo would dump Feirense for Porto, who face Liverpool in the second round of the UEFA Champions League, next month.

“Etebo will move to the Dragao Stadium in January after an agreement was reached,” A Bola said.

Porto manager Sergio Conceicao declined to comment on whether  Etebo, who has scored four league  goals in 15 appearances for Feirense  this term,   would be  arriving  at Estadio do Dragao in January to strengthen the 2004 European champions  in the winter market.

 

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