Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly earmarked Panathinaikos defender Georgios Vagiannidis as a potential successor to Pedro Porro should the latter move on this summer.
Ex-Manchester City product Porro has thrived under both Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2023, and the 25-year-old has come up with a respectable four goals and nine assists this season.
Porro’s exploits could yet help Tottenham win the Europa League, but as they are guaranteed to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table, they will not play in Europe next season if they lose to Manchester United in Bilbao.
Porro’s contract with the Lilywhites runs for another three years, but Spurs will be at risk of losing their most prized assets if they cannot force their way back into the Champions League, a list that includes the 25-year-old.
Manchester City have been tipped to try to bring Porro back to the Etihad as a replacement for Kyle Walker, and there was also talk of Real Madrid showing interest before they ramped up their efforts to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Tottenham ‘want Vagiannidis’ as Porro replacement
While Los Blancos should not pursue a deal thanks to their successful pursuit of the Liverpool vice-captain, it will be fascinating to see whether Man City follow up their interest in Porro when the window reopens.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham are braced for offers for Porro during the summer transfer window, and the Lilywhites have made contingency plans by shortlisting Vagiannidis as a target.
The 23-year-old came through the youth system with Panathinaikos and impressed enough to earn a move to Inter Milan on a free transfer in 2020, but he left San Siro to return home after just one year.
Vagiannidis has gone from strength to strength since heading back to familiar surroundings, though, and Spurs are apparently one of five teams chasing a deal for the 2001-born full-back this summer.
Premier League rivals Fulham, Everton and Leeds United are also rumoured to be pursuing Vagiannidis, who is contracted to Panathinaikos until 2028, as are Porro’s former club Sporting Lisbon.
What would Vagiannidis bring to Tottenham?
Porro is famed for his attacking capabilities – in particular his crossing into the penalty area – and the statistics show that Vagiannidis would be just as capable on the offensive front.
Vagiannidis has scored three goals of his own while laying on five assists in 103 appearances for the Greek giants, and while those numbers do not jump out, a closer look at the data suggests that he could excel as an attacking full-back in the Premier League.
Over the past year, Vagiannidis has averaged over 3.5 shot-creating actions per game in the Greek Super League, while also receiving over nine progressive passes per match.
The Greece international will not hesitate to dribble at opponents either, averaging just under 4.5 take-ons per game in the top flight and also sitting in the top 5% for carries per match.
