FC Porto signs veteran English defender Chris Smalling on free transfer until 2027

Free agent reinforcement at Estadio do Dragao

FC Porto has signed English defender Chris Smalling on a contract running until 30 June 2027, with an option to extend for an additional 12 months. The 36-year-old centre-back arrived as a free agent after his contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha expired in July 2026. Smalling, who has earned 31 caps for England and represented his country at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016, will wear the number 6 shirt for the Portuguese champions. The defender previously played for Fulham, spent nine years at Manchester United, and spent five seasons with AS Roma before moving to Saudi Arabia. Smalling arrived at the stadium directly from the airport to complete medical examinations before finalizing the agreement.

I am very excited. I came straight from the airport to the stadium to undergo physical tests, surrounded by all the trophies, and I had the opportunity to see the history of this club up close. To be able to be part of this from now on... I cannot wait to start training.

Defensive rotation and injury cover

Smalling joins Porto as a replacement for veteran defender Thiago Silva, who transferred to Brazilian side Fluminense during the summer window. Head coach Francesco Farioli required additional cover in central defence due to recurring fitness problems affecting Argentine defender Nehuen Perez. Perez returned from a long layoff in August and played 90 minutes against Manchester City on 8 September, but sustained another injury shortly after. Perez returned to limited training on Wednesday after two weeks under medical supervision. Porto has started the domestic league campaign with seven victories from seven matches, including a 3-1 win over Benfica that established a five-point lead at the top of the table.

Competition with the established defensive core

Smalling will compete for minutes against established starting centre-backs Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior. The Polish pairing has started regularly in a defensive line that also features Alberto Costa alongside full-backs Martim Fernandes or Francisco Moura. Porto signed Bednarek from Southampton in summer 2025, followed by Kiwior on an initial loan from Arsenal, which became permanent in May 2026 for a fee reported between 17 million and 17.5 million euros. Transfermarkt currently values the 26-year-old Kiwior at 40 million euros. Porto president Andre Villas-Boas detailed the construction of the defensive partnership during an interview in Copenhagen.

With the building of our Polish colony, it happened that we first came up with the transfer of Jan Bednarek from Southampton, and when we succeeded, we immediately thought to check whether something would come from our contacts with Jakub Kiwior, who was at Arsenal at the time. It tempted us to have them play together in defense because they know each other very well and get along well.

Polish contingent and squad depth

The club expanded its Polish group in January 2026 by signing Oskar Pietuszewski, who contributed to Porto regaining the Portuguese league title after a three-year gap. The presence of Bednarek, Kiwior, and Pietuszewski has also boosted match tourism from Poland, generating additional financial returns for the club. With the regular transfer window in Portugal closed, signing an unattached free agent was the only remaining option for Porto to reinforce its backline before continuing its domestic and Champions League fixtures. Smalling now joins team training to prepare for his debut in Portuguese football.