The Portuguese club reached an agreement with Copenhagen for a deal valued at €22 million: a base fee of €20 million plus €2 million in performance-related bonuses, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, which will establish a new transfer record for FC Copenhagen.
€22 million may initially seem substantial for a player from the Danish Superliga, but considering the consistent development the Danish international midfielder has demonstrated over the past season, Froholdt is likely to exceed that figure if circumstances align favorably for the modest young talent in a club eager to regain their former supremacy over Sporting CP and Benfica.
Although he participated in 15 of 17 matches and netted a crucial winning goal against Banik Ostrava to assist FC Copenhagen in reaching the group stages of the Conference League, Froholdt remained relatively unnoticed during FC Copenhagen's challenging autumn last year.
However, when coach Jacob Neestrup moved him into midfield at the beginning of the spring season, allowing him to leverage his clear ball-winning and remarkable running abilities, Froholdt truly began to flourish.
The gifted young player logged no fewer than 1897 minutes of play in the spring and was undeniably the driving force behind FC Copenhagen's title-winning campaign as they found their rhythm during the pivotal playoff matches.
Defensively, Froholdt is an audacious ball interceptor, and when combined with his impressive tackling statistics, he poses a significant challenge for opposing teams.
With his strong work ethic, he represents a player who could prove invaluable under Francesco Farioli in this Porto squad. Froholdt not only excels at making tackles but is also adept at avoiding them to maintain his fitness, showcasing a finesse in his play that is seldom seen in someone of his build.
Froholdt primarily operates as a central midfielder in a box-to-box capacity and shines when he bulldozes through defenders on relentless runs, often leaving players bouncing off him as they attempt to halt his progress.
He still needs to enhance his goal-scoring prowess and increase his assist tally, but at just 19, he has ample time to refine this aspect of his play.
Froholdt is particularly lauded for his unparalleled running capacity. He played a full 90 minutes in four matches within a span of 10 days in February, and Neestrup noted that he covered over 17 km in FC Copenhagen's return leg in the Conference League against Heidenheim which would position him as a contender for Marcelo Brozovic's world record from the 2022 World Cup, where the Croatian covered 16.9 km in the match against Japan.
“There has been much discussion about my running statistics. I don't pay much attention to it myself, but I have never experienced cramping during a match, so perhaps I am fortunate in that regard,”Froholdt remarked to Tipsbladet in the spring.
Froholdt, who was not permitted to participate in the Under-21 European Championships as FC Copenhagen wanted him to rest over the summer, reaped the rewards of his promising performances for the Danish champions when he received his first national team call-up for the crucial Nations League quarter-final against Portugal.
National team coach Brian Riemer faced significant criticism from the Danish media when he opted to substitute Froholdt for the seasoned midfielder Christian Norgaard seven minutes before the end, as Denmark aimed to maintain a 2-1 lead in Lisbon.However, the faith in Froholdt's abilities was so strong that Riemer had no hesitation in granting Froholdt an unexpected opportunity to shine in his debut.
Following his inspiring performances, Froholdt will undoubtedly need to adapt to the heightened expectations at FC Porto, but he remains confident that he possesses all the necessary tools to meet that challenge. "I have always placed more pressure on myself than I have felt from others, so I am not worried about that," Froholdt told Politiken.dk
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