The speculation over Souza’s Tottenham future continues, with a surprise exit on the cards for the Brazilian, just six months after arriving at the North London club.
Earlier in the summer, Tottenham were expected to loan out Souza so that the left-back can get regular game time after he made just four appearances for the Lilywhites last season following his move from Santos in January.
However, the situation appears to have changed over the last two weeks, with Benfica first mooted as a destination for Souza.
Over the last few days, several sources have claimed that Porto are now leading the race to sign the Tottenham left-back, having held meetings with the player’s camp.
Porto could accelerate move to Tottenham’s Souza over coming days
Journalist Bruno Andrade has now backed up claims that Porto do hold a serious interest in the Spurs youngster and are currently locked in negotiations over a deal.
While he explained that the talks are not at an advanced stage at the moment, the Portuguese champions could now step up their pursuit following their Portuguese Super Cup win over Torreense.
Andrade said on ESPN Brazil’s YouTube channel (as translated by Sport Witness): “There is still a negotiation process going on. It’s not a done deal yet. They’re still discussing the best structure for the deal – whether it would be a permanent transfer or perhaps a loan with an option to buy. Porto are playing in the Portuguese Super Cup this weekend, and until then they won’t be making any major moves.
“Once that’s out of the way, they’ll push ahead with these negotiations. It’s not done yet. At least that’s the information I have. I wouldn’t even say the negotiations are at an advanced stage. There is a negotiation process going on, but it’s not close to being completed.”
Benfica are not a contender for Souza
A couple of days ago, Record shot down claims that Benfica were preparing an offer for the Tottenham youngster, insisting that the 20-year-old was not on their wishlist.
This has been seconded by Andrade, who revealed that none of his sources has indicated that Marco Silva’s men hold an interest in Souza.
The journalist added: “I never had any information about Benfica. I respect the colleagues in the press who reported Benfica’s interest, but I never received anything pointing in that direction.”
He went on to explain that a move for Souza would not make sense for the Eagles, as they are not in the market for a left-back and are prioritising strengthening other positions with their limited budget.