Manchester City had an official at FC Porto’s match against PSV on Tuesday evening, their second scouting trip to the Dragão in the space of a month.
As explained by the print edition of A Bola, City were one of several clubs doing early transfer work at the game.
Both visits have come since Enzo Maresca’s side beat Porto 2-0 in the Champions League, with Erling Haaland scoring both goals, and the hunch is that someone impressed City that night and has been checked on since.
Why Man City keep returning to Porto
Recruitment hasn’t stopped at the Etihad, even while the club wait to find out their punishment for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules. Efforts are still going on to identify targets ahead of the coming transfer windows, and the eye is still firmly on Champions League level.
City also have a track record of buying straight from Portugal. These are their signings directly from Portuguese clubs over the past decade:
| Year | Player | Signed from | Initial fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ederson | Benfica | €40m |
| 2019 | Félix Correia (development signing) | Sporting CP | €3.5m |
| 2020 | Rúben Dias | Benfica | €68m |
| 2025 | Nico González | Porto | €60m |
Victor Froholdt and the Porto players on Man City’s radar
During City’s previous trip to Porto, Victor Froholdt impressed in a 3-1 win over Benfica. The 20-year-old Danish midfielder wasn’t at his best on Tuesday, though, as Porto lost 1-0 to PSV.
Esmir Bajraktarević also catches the eye in Porto vs PSV
For the Dutch side, 21-year-old winger Esmir Bajraktarević was a standout. Even so, it’s easy to argue that none of the players on show would find it easy to get into Maresca’s side any time soon.
Author Opinion
Two trips to the same stadium in a month isn’t a coincidence. Somebody at Porto has caught City’s attention, and Froholdt’s display against Benfica makes him the obvious name to keep an eye on.
Breaking into this City side would be a tall order for any of them right now. But if the club soon find themselves in a very different position, with several stars having left, the picture changes completely, and the groundwork being done now would suddenly matter a great deal. It fits a club that has always planned its squad a step ahead.
