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According to multiple reporters and outlets, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed on a fee for Joao Moutinho with FC Porto and will now negotiate personal terms with the player. Sky Sports News is running with the report on television, and it's flying around the internet as well. James Olley from the London Evening Standard is reporting the same. Yesterday, Portuguese television presenter Pedro Pinto said he expected the deal to be completed by the deadline.
Tottenham have agreed a fee with Porto in the region of £20m for Joao Moutinho. Personal terms to be discussed now.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) August 31, 2012#thfc
If Rafael Van der Vaart is leaving and Spurs have that income coming in, this isn't the least bit far-fetched. This rumor appears to have some serious legs.
A potential Moutinho deal has been on and off more times than I can count. Previously, Villas-Boas has claimed that the deal is unlikely, citing Porto's hesitation to sell and Moutinho's large release clause. However, it won't be surprising if these new reports are true, since Porto brought back Lucho Gonzalez last winter, and no one was ever going to be willing to pay £30m for Moutinho.
In this respect, it's a fairly un-Levylike piece of business. Moutinho is a great player, probably worth £20m or near that, but this is close to the peak of his value. He will have to play absolutely out of his mind over the next 2-3 years for Tottenham to have any chance of breaking even on a sale.
Other stories from today
Deadline day morning recap | Europa League draw | Van der Vaart off for Hamburg medical | Tottenham vs. Norwich preview
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