FC Porto president Andre Villas-Boas has revealed the club were exploring the possibility of re-signing Diogo Jota in 2026
Andre Villas-Boas has revealed that FC Porto were in talks regarding the possibility of re-signing Diogo Jota before the Liverpool forward’s tragic death. The Portuguese was killed in a car crash, along with his brother, Andre Silva, last Thursday (July 3).
The pair had been travelling across Spain to catch a ferry back to England ahead of the start of pre-season when their vehicle veered off the road after suffering a tyre blowout.
Jota and Silva were laid to rest on Saturday (July 5) in their hometown of Gondomar, with the majority of the Liverpool squad travelling to Portugal to attend their team-mate’s funeral.
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Villas-Boas, who is Porto’s club president, was also in attendance for both the wake and funeral.
And the former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager has now revealed that he had held talks with agent Jorge Mendes, who heads up the Gestifute agency that represented Jota, about the possibility of re-signing the forward.
The 28-year-old previously spent the 2016/17 season on loan with his hometown club, scoring nine goals from 37 appearances. Silva was in the youth ranks at the Portuguese giants at the time his brother signed for the club.
Jota had two years left on his Liverpool contract at the time of his passing, with Villas-Boas explaining that Porto had been exploring the possibility of signing the Reds forward in the summer of 2026, with talks even taking place at the Portuguese’s wedding little over two weeks ago.
“Unfortunately, we were working with agent Jorge Mendes on Diogo Jota’s return to FC Porto, and it won’t be possible,” he said, as quoted by the Mirror.
“It would be from 2026/27, and we had discussed the possibility. I made a point of conveying that message to Diogo, through Jorge Mendes, at his wedding, and it was a dream for all the Porto fans that it had happened.”
Villas-Boas would also pay a touching tribute to both brothers while attending their funeral as he revealed that both would be made posthumous members of Porto, and cards would be left at their memorial.
“Diogo has a history in the senior ranks, and Andre has many years from the children’s ranks to the Under-19s,” he said. “They were much loved. We’ve come to pay our respects to the family.
“Diogo, especially as the greatest public figure, was a silent hero. We all appreciated him for everything he stood for, not only on the pitch but also off it.
“He was a partner of FC Porto with its Esports team. Someone who will be remembered fondly, just like his brother,” he continued, before revealing that both would become members of Porto, and cards would be left at their memorial.
“Diogo wasn’t a member [of the club], but he became one today. I hope that all FC Porto members understand this move.
“In Andre Silva’s case, we symbolically recovered his membership fees and gave them to his family. We intended to leave the two membership cards here. I did it as chairman of the board.
“Condolences to everyone, to the team-mates from Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Gondomar and P. Ferrreira. And Penafiel, who also lost a great mate. It’s tragic and deserves a moment of reflection.”