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How Porto pulled off a surprise transfer and took football back in time
Portuguese club kept Luuk de Jong’s move under wraps, stunning their fans and making André Villas-Boas happy
Transfer news spreads like wildfire in this day and age. Leaks have become not only common but expected, by clubs, journalists and agents. So when Porto unveiled Luuk de Jong, it stunned the football world. Not even employees and teammates knew until moments before his presentation at a friendly against Atlético Madrid. So how did they pull it off?
What unfolded was a story with the intrigue of a spy thriller. The striker was the last to board the plane he took from the Netherlands to Porto last Sunday and timed his arrival on matchday to avoid crossing paths with anyone. Upon landing, he was the first off the plane and ushered into a van with tinted windows that drove him to the stadium. His entourage – anonymous to fans – collected his luggage.
Football Daily | The Championship white-knuckle ride is back again. Drink it in
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With six new teams, 11 new managers and one storied old club reduced to such levels of penury by a pernicious owner that one of its unpaid suppliers have reportedly refused to provide sock-tape for its belatedly-paid players, the new Championship campaign kicks off on Friday night, with fancied sides Birmingham and Ipswich ready to get the first of the regular season’s 552 games started. Of course there could end up being considerably fewer if Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri doesn’t do the decent thing and sell up for a price that isn’t totally outlandish, but for now the Owls remain hopeful of fielding a team for their season-opener at relegated returnees Leicester on Sunday, even if whatever side they can cobble together is forced to show more leg than is considered appropriate or decent on a football pitch. As things stand, Wednesday fans would almost certainly be delighted if their club lives up to its status as hotter-than-the-sun favourites to finish bottom of the league come season’s end, because it would at least mean they still have one to support.
I was somewhat surprised to read your comment that Arsenal had ‘won the square root of nish-all in five years’ (yesterday’s Football Daily). May I join 1,056 other pedants in recalling the supreme glory of the men’s team in securing the Community Shield twice in that strict timespan (2020 and 2023). Also we must surely spotlight the even greater successes of the Arsenal women’s team in winning the League Cup – twice (2022-23 and 2023-24) – and Bigger Cup (2024-25)” – Nick Howarth Pulleyn (and no others).
Let’s face it; Arsenal will stop Arsenal being champions. When William Blake wrote of ‘mind-forg’d manacles’ and the ‘marks of weakness [in every face I meet]’, in the poem London, he was specifically referring to the area between Drayton Park and Tollington Road” – Rowan Sweeney.
What a wonderful, heartfelt paean to Son Heung-min from Michael Gilsenan (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). Can I suggest that Michael offers his services to Son as a scriptwriter? He’d surely have come up with a more enthusiastic tribute to LA than Son’s own half-baked effort (and, on reflection, awarding it that is probably being over-generous)” – Phil Taverner.
As the Sonny appreciation society goes into overload, did you know that Harry Kane played played 435 games for Spurs, scoring 280 goals? While Sonny played 454 games for Spurs, scoring 173? But Kane slotted in 63 penalties. Now, had Son been taking those same penalties instead, you can do the math (as they say). Simply amazing. What a guy” – Marc Meldrum.
We often think about players joining new clubs and whether they’ll fit in, or will they suit their new surroundings. I see Anthony Stokes has joined Conor McGregor’s Black Forge FC” – Gareth Aherne.
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