After a series of warm-up games that took place behind closed doors, a strategy FC Porto used this year to mold the squad to the coach’s ideas for the campaign that begins now, behold, the dragons have finally shown themselves to their fans, in a particular Match against Monaco which left the certainty that the team seems to be on the right track.
If the collective performance left the blue and white public very satisfied, the same goes for the individual behavior of certain footballers. This was the case of Pepe. The Brazilian striker hired at Grêmio last summer caught the eye and left great promises for 2022/2023.
The first season with the Dragons jersey was very positive. Still, the start wasn’t easy as the Brazilian had to adapt to Sérgio Conceição’s well-known tactical demands. Pepê enjoyed a season of growth, ending it as a very important stone in the Porto players’ final assault on the two most important trophies in domestic competitions: the League and the Cup.
The numbers were great – 42 games, six goals and five assists across the various competitions he’s featured in – but the winger knows he can do even better. From the sample that constituted the game the day before yesterday, against Monaco, the whites and the blues can well expect an important contribution from the Brazilian, with constant movements in the offensive line and creating imbalances on both flanks , serving as support for the attacking duo. (Taremi and Evanilson).
For Sérgio Conceição, it certainly didn’t occur to him to lose Pepê in this market, but the truth is that there have been approaches from Premier League clubs. However, SAD were firm in withstanding the onslaught of the 25-year-old, pushing them towards the release clause, which is one of the highest in the team: 70 million euros.
