Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa has made a bizarre claim that Wolves paid €40 million this summer for a player with a €10 million release clause.
Fabio Silva joined Wolves for a reported club-record fee of £35 million in the summer. The 18-year-old attacker is a touted young talent, but had scored just one goal for Porto before his surprise transfer.
The New York Times journalist Tariq Panja reported on Twitter: "Remarkable claim by Porto president tonight. He said Fabío Silva had €10m clause but Wolves paid €40m. Good business for Porto and good business for you know who."
The you-know-who is a nod to Silva's agent, Jorge Mendes. Yet the claim itself is a puzzling one.
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While some labelled the news "scandalous" others have pointed out that it's unlikely that a teenage wonderkid on Porto's books would have a release clause of only €10 million (enabling any of Europe's elite clubs to swoop in and sign him for a relatively low fee).
There are other reports that Silva, who has been compared to a young Cristiano Ronaldo, signed a new contract last year with a whopping €125 million release clause.
Perhaps Pinto da Costa was just spinning an elaborate story to make himself sound like a business genius (we've all been there, Jorge old chap). Or he was just getting sums slightly muddled (again: been there).
The alternative is that Wolves have accidentally bid an extra €30 million (around £27 million) for a player, and now Wanderers chairman Jeff Shi is scrambling around looking for his Silva receipt like a teenager with an unwanted Christmas present.
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Whatever the true story, we'd respectfully recommend that Pinto da Costa ups the release clauses for future Porto superstars. Because frankly €10 million doesn't buy you Harry Maguire's toenail in the year of our lord 2020.
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