Manchester United have reportedly approached Portuguese champions Sporting CP over a potential deal for teenage full-back Nuno Mendes in the summer.
According to a report from The Sun, Premier League giants Manchester United have entered the race for the signing of Portuguese prodigy Nuno Mendes from Sporting CP in the upcoming transfer window.
Mendes is a product of the Sporting youth academy. Having risen through the ranks the 18-year-old left-back made his first-team debut in the post-lockdown period last season and hasn’t looked back since. Indeed, the teenager has established himself as a mainstay as the left-sided wing-back in Ruben Amorim’s side and played a key hand in Sporting’s Liga NOS title triumph this season.
So far this term, Mendes has appeared in 35 matches across all competitions, contributing with a solitary goal and two assists. His form at club level saw the teenager break into the Portuguese national team during the last international break in March earlier this year. And, his rise with the Lions has put him on the radars of several top clubs across Europe, including Manchester United.
As things stand, Manchester United have Luke Shaw as their first-choice left-back, with the former Southampton man enjoying his finest season with the Red devils. Alex Telles arrived as competition for the England international last summer and has been a handy addition so far, with youngster Brandon Williams also an option available at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s disposal.
However, there have been question marks surrounding the future of Telles less than a year into his time at Old Trafford while Williams has regressed due to the lack of game-time this season and, along with fellow academy graduate Axel Tuanzebe, could be loaned out for the next season. This could open up a spot in the squad for the arrival of a new left-back, in the form of Mendes.
In fact, recent reports have even gone on to suggest that Manchester United could potentially offer Telles as part of the deal to secure the transfer of Mendes in the upcoming window. To that end, the aforementioned report from The Sun has now claimed that the 20-time English champions have made contact with Sporting CP over the possibility of signing the 18-year-old, who is valued at £52 million.
Mendes shares the same agent as Manchester United superstar Bruno Fernandes – Miguel Pinho – through him the club has sounded out Sporting CP to explore the feasibility of a summer switch. It now remains to be seen whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer & co. are successful in their pursuit of the teenage starlet before next season.