"One thing is to sell players, another thing is to be with a knife to the throat and sell players." José Pedro Pereira da Costa told A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese, that FC Porto are no longer operating under a deadline-driven need to sell. His wider point was that the Rodrigo Mora operation should be read as planned finance, not an emergency exit dressed up after the fact.

Porto are still a selling club, and Pereira da Costa did not pretend otherwise. He said sales will happen every year. The distinction he wanted to make was about leverage. In his words, the club are not in a position where they "have to sell this way or that way".

The Mora valuation Porto want to push

The most important detail from his update was the way Porto are counting the Mora deal. Pereira da Costa told A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese: "In total, this summer of 2026/27 we invested €37 million, against around €110 million last summer. And we made sales of €78 million, considering Rodrigo Mora as €50 million. (...) It was €25 million for 50%, but we have an option that depends exclusively on our will. For us it is a €50 million operation,"

That framing needs to be kept exactly as he presented it. Pereira da Costa referred to €25 million for 50%, while also saying Porto view it as a €50 million operation because of the option they control. So there are two figures in play, but only one club interpretation, and that is the one he chose to emphasise.

The move is linked to AS Roma, but Pereira da Costa's comments were financial rather than sporting. He even said: "I am not a sporting director, for me it is a financial sale." That is an important distinction here, because Porto's public line was about balance-sheet management, not a football case for moving Mora on.

Mora's early numbers help explain why Porto are comfortable treating him as a premium asset. The 19-year-old has 4 Serie A goals in 9 appearances for Roma this season and 2 Champions League assists in 4 appearances. Those returns do not settle the full value of the operation, but they do show why Porto are talking about him as one of their major assets rather than a cut-price sale.

Porto's wider financial pitch

Pereira da Costa used the Mora case to support a broader argument about stabilisation. He said Porto invested €37 million in the summer of 2026-27, down from around €110 million last summer. He also said the club made €78 million in sales, with Mora counted as a €50 million operation.

He added another point that speaks to squad continuity. Porto started this season with the 11 players who logged the most minutes last season still in the squad, which he said had never happened in the history of the SAD. For a club often associated with regular churn, that is a fair sign they believe they have bought themselves more room to choose when they sell.

The league table supports part of that argument. Porto are top with 33 points from 11 Primeira Liga matches, and they have won all 11 of those games. They have also scored 27 league goals and conceded 5. A team posting those numbers is not giving off the usual signs of a squad being stripped back too aggressively.

The Champions League money Porto still need

Where the confidence sounds less complete is Europe. Porto are 26th in the Champions League standings with 3 points from 4 games, and that is where Pereira da Costa's comments became more revealing about the limits of the club's position.

He said Porto have a €50 million operational deficit if UEFA revenue is removed from the accounts, and that the club need €50 million in UEFA income to break even operationally. Speaking to A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese, he said: "With the Europa League it is impossible. With a normal participation in the Champions League, which will bring €60 million to €70 million, we are left with a positive operating result."

That does not cancel out his main argument, but it does qualify it. Porto may not be selling with a knife to their throat, as Pereira da Costa put it, yet the club are still reliant on Champions League money to keep the books where they want them.

So the Mora sale sits in a middle ground. Porto are not presenting it as a distressed move, and the summer spending and sales figures back that up. But they are also not claiming complete independence from transfer income or UEFA cash. On the pitch they have 33 points from 11 league matches. In Europe they have 3 points from 4 Champions League games.

FAQ

Why are FC Porto saying the Rodrigo Mora sale was not a panic move?

José Pedro Pereira da Costa said Porto are no longer selling with a deadline hanging over them. In comments to A Bola, translated from Portuguese, he said sales will still happen but not because the club is being forced into one specific deal or timetable.

How much is FC Porto counting from the Rodrigo Mora deal?

Pereira da Costa described the operation in two ways. He said it was €25 million for 50%, but added Porto hold an option that depends only on the club's will. On that basis, he said Porto treat it as a €50 million operation.

What do Porto's summer numbers say about their finances?

According to Pereira da Costa, Porto invested €37 million in the summer of 2026-27, compared with around €110 million last summer. He also said the club made €78 million in sales, with Rodrigo Mora counted as a €50 million operation.

Why does Champions League revenue matter so much to Porto?

Pereira da Costa said Porto need €50 million in UEFA revenue to break even operationally. He added that Europa League income would not cover that gap, while normal Champions League participation could bring €60 million to €70 million.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →