 In the summer of 2008, he was sold for €2.5 million to FC Porto as a replacement for Chelsea-bound José Bosingwa and signed a five-year contract with the Primeira Liga club owning 50% of the player's rights – Romanian sources indicated the price was actually €6 million plus two players.During his debut campaign, Săpunaru was first-choice right-back as the northerners achieved a double, and scored his first goal in a 1–2 away loss against C.D.Nacional for the League Cup.