Manchester City are leading the race to sign Sporting CP youngster Nuno Mendes, with a €25 million bid likely on the table.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has offered an update in the race to sign Nuno Mendes. Speaking to his Twitch audience, as reported by SI, the reliable journalist claims that Manchester City are indeed the frontrunners in the pursuit of the Sporting Lisbon youngster and are even willing to fork out €25 million.
However, Romano states that Man City are yet to put an official bid to the table. Their current valuation of around €25 million is also a far cry from the €50 million Sporting are demanding for their prized defensive asset at the moment.
Earlier this week, it was claimed that Sporting valued the player at around €55 million, which is somewhat lower than his original release clause worth €70 million. But Man City remaining unwilling to even reach the €30 million mark, which has put Mendes in a precarious situation, with the left-back unsure of his future next season.
The youngster does have a lot of admirers, having starred for Sporting last season. He became an ever-present figure for a team that broke Benfica and FC Porto’s hegemony in Portuguese football by winning the league title whilst remaining unbeaten in the process.
During the course of the season, Mendes made 29 appearances, registering one goal and an assist. His numbers are not necessarily eye-catching, but the youngster has impressed the onlookers with his speed, athleticism and positional sense.
It has made the 19-year-old an appealing target for Manchester City, who are in the market for a new left-back this summer. They were earlier linked with a move for Antonee Robinson, though Pep Guardiola would certainly prefer the young Portuguese phenom as he offers more quality and potential to the table.
Having offloaded Angelino in the January transfer window, the Cityzens could do with another option at left-back. While Joao Cancelo’s unprecedented success was certainly helpful, Benjamin Mendy continues to be injury-prone and unreliable while Oleksandr Zinchenko is not a natural in the position either.
Mendes should fill that hole nicely, but his hefty price tag should make Guardiola think twice, especially at a time when Manchester City are prioritising a move for Jack Grealish. The Englishman has reportedly agreed personal terms, but appeasing his club Aston Villa will be significantly more difficult.