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Tottenham left-back Souza continues to be linked with Porto. However, fresh comments from ESPN Brazil journalist Bruno Andrade suggest the proposed move is not as advanced as some reports have claimed. Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte reported on Tuesday that Porto had overtaken Benfica in the race for the 20-year-old. The Portuguese champions had already agreed personal terms with the player and were in advanced negotiations with Tottenham. The report also stated Giuliano Bertolucci, Souza’s agent, is in Portugal working on the transfer, as we previously covered. Bruno Andrade, however, has offered a more cautious assessment of the situation. “There is still a negotiation process going on,” he explained. “It’s not a done deal yet. They’re still discussing the best structure for the deal – whether it would be a permanent transfer or perhaps a loan with an option to buy.” Super Cup comes first According to Andrade, Porto’s immediate priority is Sunday’s Portuguese Super Cup, meaning the club are unlikely to accelerate negotiations before then. “Porto are playing in the Portuguese Super Cup this weekend, and until then they won’t be making any major moves,” he said. “Once that’s out of the way, they’ll push ahead with these negotiations.” The journalist also pushed back against suggestions the transfer is close. “It’s not done yet. At least that’s the information I have. I wouldn’t even say the negotiations are at an advanced stage. There is a negotiation process going on, but it’s not close to being completed.” That assessment is closer to reporting from Portugal. There, Jornal de Notícias stated Porto have yet to open formal negotiations with Tottenham. The club remains in a phase of contacts with clubs and agents as they continue to approach the market cautiously. Benfica doubts Andrade also questioned the widespread reports linking Benfica with Souza earlier in the window. “I never had any information about Benfica,” he said. “I respect the colleagues in the press who reported Benfica’s interest, but I never received anything pointing in that direction.” He went further by suggesting such a move would not have made much sense from Benfica’s perspective, arguing the Lisbon club are not actively looking for a left-back and would be unlikely to spend around €20m (£17.4m) on the position given their priorities elsewhere. For now, Porto’s interest appears genuine, but the latest information indicates there is still plenty of work to do before Souza’s future is settled.