Even in this era of relentless transfer inflation, a fee of more than £20m does not usually represent a bargain. Roma’s move for the Porto playmaker Mora may be an exception, though. The teenager has been on the radar of Europe’s elite teams since starring for Porto’s B-team at 15, and Porto were braced for his €70m (£59.5m) release clause to be met in the summer of 2025.
That didn’t happen and Mora then fell out of favour under the new head coach, Francesco Farioli. Roma swooped with an offer of €25m (£21.4m), plus a 50% sell-on fee which can be bought out. The potential move also intrigued Mora, who was eager to play under Gian Piero Gasperini.
The early signs are positive, with Mora netting his first Roma goal against Lecce as the Giallorossi made a flying start in Serie A. Getting promoted to the Premier League is an expensive business. This summer, Ipswich, Coventry and Hull collectively spent £450m net on players.
Amid such frantic investment, Hull’s move for the 24-year-old Sweden international Stroud looks like excellent business. The wide player was a standout for Mjällby as the small-town team won the Swedish title last year, earning a place in Graham Potter’s World Cup squad. Sergej Jakirovic identified him as a key squad addition after Hull’s playoff final success.
He’s a runner too, so I think he will suit us very well.” Stroud has been a pacy creative outlet for Jakirovic’s hard-working unit. On the face it of, paying a nominal fee to sign a striker of Aubameyang’s class and experience is a no-brainer. Still, the former Arsenal and Dortmund player is 37 and has endured a nomadic career since leaving Barcelona.
An unsuccessful stint with Chelsea has been followed by two seasons with Marseille, sandwiching a year in Saudi Arabia. Aubameyang’s goal return has still been impressive, with 44 across the last three campaigns, and he has reportedly accepted a greatly reduced salary to play regular La Liga football. Dépor’s ambitious project looks the perfect fit, with Aubameyang scoring five goals in seven league games.
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