FC Porto president André Villas-Boas has opened the door to selling the Portuguese club's top players to clear outstanding debt and stabilize financial operations.
Speaking at an event in Porto hosted on Saturday by former player Diego Ribas, Villas-Boas identified goalkeeper Diogo Costa alongside Froholdt, Samu, and William Gomes as the main talent capable of resolving the club's financial difficulties.
FC Porto, founded in 1893, is based in the northern city of Porto and ranks among Portugal's most successful football clubs. The professional football team is managed by FC Porto SAD, a publicly traded sports company that handles transfer contracts, player wages, and commercial operations at the club's home ground, the Estádio do Dragão.
Squad valuation and transfer strategy
Villas-Boas revealed that Porto currently possesses the most valuable squad in its history, estimating the total market value of the first-team roster at approximately 425 million euros.
The Porto president stated that transfers involving players such as William Gomes, Samu, Froholdt, and Diogo Costa contain the resolution to the club's financial challenges. He explained that selling these players would allow the board to continue reducing debt and eventually achieve lasting economic stability.
Diogo Costa is Porto's first-choice goalkeeper and an established starter for the Portugal national team, having progressed through the club's youth academy to become one of the premier goalkeepers in European football. Samu, a promising young striker, Danish midfielder Froholdt, and Brazilian winger William Gomes represent high-value assets within the squad who have attracted interest from rival European clubs.
Diego Ribas, who organized the event where Villas-Boas spoke, is a former Brazilian international midfielder who played for Porto between 2004 and 2006, winning domestic league titles and the Intercontinental Cup during his tenure at the club.
Inherited debt and previous player sales
Villas-Boas recalled the severe economic situation he faced upon being elected president of FC Porto in April 2024, describing the financial state of the organization at the time as terrible.
He explained that when his leadership team arrived, the club had only 8,000 euros remaining in its bank account while facing 15 million euros in short-term payments due within 15 days, alongside 100 million euros owed within four months.
The Porto president noted that poor league performance left the club with little choice but to sell key players during that period to generate immediate cash flow. Porto negotiated the sale of winger Galeno to Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli for 50 million euros and midfielder Nico González to English Premier League side Manchester City for 60 million euros.
Galeno had emerged as a crucial goalscorer for Porto in domestic and European competitions, while Nico González was a central fixture in midfield after arriving from Spanish club Barcelona. The total capital injection of 110 million euros from those two transfers enabled Porto to stabilize immediate cash requirements, hire a top, young, and ambitious manager, and invest 100 million euros into new player signings last season.
Refereeing disputes and rival club relations
In addition to economic issues, Villas-Boas addressed recent criticisms made by manager Marco Silva and Benfica president Rui Costa regarding the officiating during the classic derby match.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Portugal Football Globes gala organized by the Portuguese Football Federation, Villas-Boas dismissed complaints about the refereeing. He characterized the remarks as normal frustrations from a manager who arrives in Portuguese football and loses his first classic derby match.
Addressing accusations of double standards in refereeing decisions, Villas-Boas said it was up to the president of Benfica to defend what he views as right or wrong. He added that he considered the match to have featured a great refereeing performance.
The derby between FC Porto and Lisbon-based SL Benfica, known as O Clássico, is the most intense rivalry in Portuguese sport, reflecting the historical competition between Portugal's two largest metropolitan areas. Rui Costa, a former Portuguese international midfielder, serves as president of Benfica, while the Portuguese Football Federation oversees domestic competitions and hosts the annual Portugal Football Globes gala.
Political dynamics in Portuguese football
Villas-Boas also criticized what he termed a holy alliance between Lisbon rivals Sporting CP and Benfica, stating that he refuses to accept a two-against-one structure in Portuguese football.
The Porto president explained that he initially sought to change the political environment of Portuguese football when he assumed office. However, he noted that he quickly stepped away after realizing that the alliance between the two Lisbon clubs created an opposing majority.
Sporting CP, based in the capital city of Lisbon, forms part of Portugal's Big Three football clubs alongside Porto and Benfica. The three clubs historically dominate the Portuguese top flight, known as the Primeira Liga, and frequently compete for control over league administration, refereeing governance, and broadcasting contracts.
Following the statements by Villas-Boas, Porto's financial trajectory will depend on executing player transfers in upcoming registration windows, as the executive board aims to balance squad competitiveness with continuous debt reduction.
