As the market accelerates towards closure, FC Porto has reactivated Iván Jaime, the Spanish midfielder from Famalicao who has been booked by the Dragons since May.
Pepê is an instant fix to replace Otávio, who was moved to victory, but the midfield needs another creative unit and Iván Jaime’s profile suits the needs, although he still has to work on some aspects of the game, one of which being the defensive reaction to losing the ball. But these are issues of a different nature, which must be resolved in training.
What is important to keep in mind is that the Spaniard will in fact leave Famalecao and FC Porto’s route opens again valid, with hints of a contract valid for five seasons, but still negotiating issues to settle with Famalesenses.
Ivan Jaime appeared smiling in Famalicão’s pre-season, but that smile quickly faded when he learned that SAD intended to negotiate his pass for values around €10/12m. Much more than the expected 5/6 million euros before the player finishes the season as the best young footballer in the league, voted on by the captains and coaches of the 18 teams in the tournament.
To reduce these demands, FC Porto proposes that Famalicão retain part of the economic rights, opening up the possibility of receiving players from the blue and white teams. One name that seems to please Famalicao is Abraham Marcos, the 23-year-old striker, but Andre Franco is also highly rated.
Málaga is interested, as it owns 25 percent of the pass. If the move to FC Porto does not materialize, the possibility of Ivan Jaime heading to Valencia to participate in La Liga is not excluded. Ché’s club does not have the financial means to buy the midfielder and has already made an advance payment for a small loan, proposing to pay only the footballer’s wages. Valencia believe that at the end of the market they can exploit the uncertainty about the player’s future.
But Ivan Jaime wants to play in the Champions League and Porto and is waiting for the blue and white to progress. That’s what he’s been doing since the opening of the season: Fearing an injury that in the past robbed him of his jumping dream, the midfielder was not called up by Joao Pedro Souza. The trainer referred the matter to the SAD and the latter, in turn, understands that until the market closes, it is not a bad idea to protect such a valuable asset.
The midfielder’s performances in the Portuguese Cup semi-finals – particularly the one at the Estadio do Dragão, where he scored a stunning goal for Claudio Ramos, dispelled any doubts about his huge potential. A diamond in the rough for Sérgio Conceição, whose talent can take him to greater heights.
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