Owner claims he was quoted £38m package for Spurs-linked midfielder

Tottenham Hotspur may have to pay a total package of £38million if they wish to sign Porto midfielder Sergio Oliveira this summer.

Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso told Portuguese news outlet MaisFutebol that was the figure quoted by Oliveira’s agent Jorge Mendes.

Commisso decided not to proceed with his interest in Oliveira after suggesting that they would not have been able to make a financial return at the end of his contract given the fact he would be 35.

Record claimed last month that the Portuguese international was apparently waiting on Tottenham to make their move for him this summer.

Oliveira was named in Portugal’s squad for Euro 2020 on the back of his remarkable season at club level where he scored 20 goals in all competitions from midfield for Porto (transfermarkt).

“There was talk of a certain Sergio Oliveira, from FC Porto,” said Commisso.

“In the case of Sergio Oliveira, Jorge Mendes, his agent, presented us a cost of 20 million euros (£17 million) for the transfer, in addition to other costs relating to commissions, which were never less than £20 million.

“But the salary was almost double for a 29-year-old player (£75,000-a-week). In other words, Sergio Oliveira’s overall cost was 44.5 million euros (£38 million).

“Besides, in five years, Sergio will be 34. We wouldn’t be able to make any return (on our investment).”

SpursWeb Opinion

It is difficult to envisage Spurs signing Oliveira since he is now 29 and as Commisso suggested, it would be difficult to recoup the original financial outlay.