FC Porto youth looking to breathe new fire into the Dragon

Which talented youngsters will crack the squad?

Nearly two weeks of the pre-season have passed and Vitor Pereira hasn’t yet had the chance to work with anything close to a full roster. With the Portuguese internationals and the Brazilian Olympic trio absent, many of the raw and unproven players have been given an opportunity to prove themselves to their manager. 

Whether it be the prodigy of Juan Iturbe, the rising Christian Atsu, or the always-solid Castro, the members of this group of youth are all vying for one of the few remaining spots on the roster. How have they progressed?

David Addy

Expectation: Low

Chance of stay: None

Signed as a back-up and potential future replacement for the impressive Álvaro Pereira during the 09/10 winter transfer window, Addy hasn’t done much to impress the Porto brass thus far.

In his first half season with the Northern side, the 22-year-old only played one game, his debut, against Rio Ave. Since then, Addy has had loan spells with Academica and Panaitolikos. With the Briosa, Addy only played in 14 games but managed to score two goals, including one in a stellar display against Porto. Last year, he joined Panaitolikos where he managed to start in 25 games but disappeared from the sight of the Porto faithful because of the Greek club’s lack of visibility.

Rugged in defence and potent in attack, the young left-back still has much to prove if he ever hopes to make the team. Perhaps the only reason he is a part of the pre-season squad at this point is because Alex Sandro is absent, leaving Álvaro as the club’s only option. Unfortunately, Addy has been injured and did not play against Servette and Evian. Look for another loan move.
 

Christian Atsu

Expectation: High

Chance of stay: Nearly certain

A rare product of the Porto youth system, Atsu’s career took off when André Villas-Boas invited him to take part in Porto’s 2010/2011 pre-season. The Ghanaian exploded onto the scene, leaving saliva hanging from the mouths of Porto fans. Displaying the pace and dribbling ability to beat defenders at will, Atsu dazzled all who were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the youngster’s talent.

Earning a loan move to Rio Ave, the winger bloomed under Carlos Brito, maturing to become a player who knows when to make a pass and attempt to keep possession instead of trying to dribble past his marker every time he sees the ball. The 20-year-old played in 27 matches and scored six times including once against his parent club, one against Sporting, and twice against Benfica, one in each fixture. If there’s any sure-fire method to catching Pinto Da Costa’s attention, it’s scoring against the Encarnados. 

Atsu continues to make the difference in the pre-season. Against Valadares he opened the scoring and against Servette he assisted Kléber for his first goal. Winner of the Dragão de Ouro for Young player of the year, Atsu has played well enough to convince the fans that he deserves a spot on the roster and has surely convinced Vitor Pereira of the same. Look for him to settle into the impact substitute role, if Hulk stays at Porto. If the Brazilian leaves in the transfer window, Atsu will be given more playing time and may experience a rise to fame similar to that of James Rodríguez.
 

Castro

Expectation: Moderate

Chance of stay: Low

A fan favourite and product of the youth system, Castro made his debut with Porto in the 2007/2008 under Jesualdo Ferreira. After two stellar seasons on loan at Olhanense, fans called for the return of a player who rivals legend Paulinho Santos in effort, heart, and courage displayed on the field.

Castro surprised many when he was finally able to make the squad under André Villas-Boas. However, his time at Porto would be cut short as the midfielder found himself at the bottom of the depth chart and without playing time. A loan to Sporting Gijon for the second half of the season proved to be just what Castro needed as he gained critical acclaim for his role in the Gijon midfield, specifically from José Mourinho, and scored two goals in the second half of the season. The La Liga side was able to hold on to the box-to-box midfielder for another year where he played in 29 matches and scored another two goals.

The tireless Castro has impressed fans with his high tempo game in the midfield, one that rivals that of Moutinho, but cannot seem to convince Pereira of the same. The unfortunate truth is that Castro is likely to be left off of Pereira’s roster. If this occurs, expect him to be sold, as another loan for the 24-year-old is surely out of the question.
 

Juan Iturbe

Expectation: High

Chance of stay: Certain

Labeled as the ‘New Messi’ before he even signed a contract with Porto, Iturbe was always going to have to deal with the pressure that came with the title.

Having played less than 90 minutes in four games last year, Iturbe was not allotted much time to verify the title bestowed upon him. Having faced a slow adaptation to the European game, Iturbe faced the problem that Atsu did in his first year: not knowing when to dribble and where to dribble versus keeping possession. This year, he’s looking to mature, under Pereira’s close guidance.

Thus far in the pre-season, he has shown he has the ability to change games by adding speed and a direct style of football, taking advantage of tired legs in the second half. Against Valadares, he scored a brace and against Servette he was close to adding another to his tally. During his second-half appearance against Evian, Iturbe displayed his growing maturity. Once all of the starters were substituted off, the majority of the offence ran through the 19-year-old who showed signs of his growing understanding of the European game by sticking to his defensive duties and attempting to pick out teammates instead of going on Messi-like runs.

Iturbe is guaranteed a spot on the roster. Look for him to grow into the role of an impact substitute.
 

Kelvin

Expectation: Moderate

Chance of stay: None

Like Iturbe, when Kelvin was signed by Porto, he was known for his bag of tricks. Also like Iturbe, Kelvin has taken longer than expected to adapt to the European style of game and his progress with the club has suffered because of it. Last year, he followed Atsu to Rio Ave where he did not experience the same amount of success because of these difficulties.

Quite possibly the rawest talent that Porto has under contract, even more so than Iturbe, Kelvin’s decision making on the field has been suspect. This is why only ten of his 22 appearances for Rio Ave were in the starting eleven. In this year’s pre-season, Kelvin’s performances have been a mixed bag of results. Against Valadares, he managed to draw some attention with a goal but against stiffer competition in Servette and Evian, he was barely noticed. Another year or two on loan would do the 19-year-old no harm. A move to Porto’s B team is also plausible.

Conclusions

Only two weeks of the pre-season have passed and much can change from this point on. Moutinho may be sold, leaving Castro with a higher chance of making the final squad. Kelvin may find form and make it near impossible for Porto management to loan him out again. Each of these players is talented and will eventually shine as a footballer in their respective careers. Their play in the remainder of the pre-season will dictate whether that occurs at Porto, and whether it happens as early as this season.

By: Victor Ferreira