Former Red Devil becomes a dragon

The transfer window closed some time ago, leaving only the free-agent market, and it is precisely there that Porto have found a surprising and familiar reinforcement. The latest news from Portugal is that the country’s giants have agreed a deal with Chris Smalling. The experienced Englishman is 36 years old, has been without a club since this June, and arrived in Porto today to undergo his medical and sign a contract until the end of the season.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝑾𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒕 🤷‍<br><br>Welcome, Chris Smalling 💙 <a href="https://t.co/nW8UKRtHix">pic.twitter.com/nW8UKRtHix</a></p>&mdash; FC Porto (@FCPorto) <a href="https://x.com/FCPorto/status/2105341985456615811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##“I’m here for that, to help, to contribute, to do my part on the field and to bring trophies. That’s why I wanted to come here when FC Porto became a real option. The other options disappeared because everyone knows the history of FC Porto, the players who played here. It’s about competing and winning, that’s why I’m here. I felt very wanted, not only by the coach, but also by the Club, which did what it could to bring me here. After just ten minutes of conversation, I knew this had to happen and it was done” said Smalling after signing the contract.##LINKED_NEWS_45627##Smalling is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he spent no fewer than nine seasons. He arrived from Fulham in 2010 as a highly rated young centre-back, and then-manager Alex Ferguson planned for him to develop alongside Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand. Phil Jones, who arrived a year after Smalling, was viewed in a similar way. He soon became an England international but he never reached the heights that had been predicted for him. In June 2019, he joined Roma on loan, impressed there and was signed permanently the following year. Although he struggled with injuries, he left a fairly positive impression during his five seasons with the Giallorossi.He then signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Fayha as a free agent. He made 67 appearances over two seasons, avoided injury problems, but was not offered a new contract. He was linked with a return to England, while there was also some talk of interest from Valencia, but then, seemingly out of nowhere, came the news that he would sign for Porto.04:00: (1.42) Atletico Nacional (4.30) CPD Junior (7.00)