Pranav Nair
Manchester United face intense competition in their pursuit of Nuno Mendes
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United face a fight on their hands to land Sporting Lisbon wonderkid Nuno Mendes.
The 18-year-old is already a regular for the Portuguese giants and is considered to be amongst the best young left-backs in Europe. He has so far made 24 appearances for them this season, scoring once and assisting two more. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Liverpool attempted to steal a march on securing the player last winter. Sporting held out for £40m, rendering the Merseysiders’ £19m bid pointless.
This would have come as good news for United, who are keen on the player themselves. The Red Devils will have to contend with competition from a number of top sides from across the continent.
The likes of Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester City and AC Milan are also in the frat for Mendes. With competition high, it remains to be seen how much Sporting could net in the summer. Mendes has a significant £63million buy-out clause that can be considered big in the post-Covid landscape.
An under-21 international with Portugal, Mendes is an extremely promising talent who is already Sporting’s first-choice left-back. He will only get better with age and United could secure the left flank for the next decade if they can land him.
According to the report, Mendes could be converted into a central defender in the future. A left-footed player, he might be just what United are looking for.
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United have a good relationship with Sporting, having brought a number of players from them over the years. The latest recruit was the impressive Bruno Fernandes.
It remains to be seen if Fernandes will be a part of the charm offensive to attract Mendes to Old Trafford.
