'A new challenge in a better league' - Agent of PSG new boy Danilo Pereira explains why he left Porto

Paris Saint-Germain's deadline-day signing Danilo Pereira had lost his motivation at former club Porto and needed a new challenge, according to his agent, Daniel Lorenz.

The defensive midfielder has moved from the champions of Portugal to the title holders in France on a season-long loan, with a €16 million (£15m/$19m) option to buy at the end of the current campaign.

The 29-year-old spent five years with Porto, making 202 appearances in all competitions and winning two league titles as well as the Taca de Portugal, and Lorenz said his client felt it was time to move on.

Speaking exclusively to Goal, Lorenz said: "Danilo was in Porto for five seasons. The last season, he won the league and the national cup. He needed something else, a new challenge in a better league, with more ambition, and PSG have it.

"Suddenly, we tried to find arrangements, to explain to PSG that they could sign a player with exceptionally advantageous conditions compared to usual, because as you know, Porto is a tough club to do business with. Paris knows this and maybe that's why they didn't come sooner.

"At the last moment, we had this opportunity. They gave positive feedback and it’s done. We didn't have time for negotiations. It was ‘yes or no’."

The deal represents a financial coup for PSG, given Danilo's first-team status at hard negotiators Porto, where he had a €60m (£55m/$70m) release clause in his contract.

However, the last-minute nature of the deal worked in PSG's favour as they were able to get an unsettled player out of Porto, with Lorenz - previously director of legal affairs at the Portuguese club - able to use his knowledge of the club to engineer the deal.

He said: "The president [Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa] said it was one of the last opportunities for Danilo to move after five years at the club. He had a big release clause of €60m, but the conditions were right at that precise moment for him to leave.

"It was an opportunity for everyone. If we hadn't gone for it, Porto might have ended up asking for the €60m later. I explained this to PSG. They did a great job.

"Of course, normally it would be impossible to do this for these amounts, which are made public since Porto is listed on the stock exchange and is obliged to provide this information, but I guarantee you that the transfer notified at the end of the season will be €16m.

"This will be linked to different performance factors to be achieved, but I can assure you that these conditions are very reasonable and that it will almost certainly happen. Danilo will definitely be a PSG player."