In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Rudy Galetti claimed that Manchester City are the favorites to land Sporting CP full-back Nuno Mendes this summer. However, it is understood that the Mancunian giants are yet to agree on a fee with the Portuguese outfit as they want around €55m for their prized asset during this summer transfer period.
🚨📞 #NunoMendes, #ManCity is leading the race for the 🇵🇹 left-back but there is still a distance with #SportingCP. Despite the release cluase at €70M, #Sporting could sell the 2002 class for around €55M. Too much, as of now, for the #Citizens. 🐓⚽️ #Calciomercato #Translate
— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) July 17, 2021
Mendes’ Encouraging Season At Lisbon
Mendes had another solid campaign in Portuguese football as he managed to put in a string of impressive displays as Sporting’s primary left-back. The 19-year-old featured in 35 matches for the Portuguese club last season, finding the back of the net once and grabbing two assists on all fronts.
The talented teenager influenced the game in both halves based on his average of 1.7 tackles, 2.1 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 0.6 shots, 1.1 key passes, 1.4 crosses and 1.5 dribbles per game in the previous Liga NOS campaign. The Sintra-born full-back even took care of the ball when distributing possession from the left flank after making 79.3% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Mendes’ incredible contributions helped Sporting clinch the Liga NOS title last season when they edged out their rivals, FC Porto by five points at the top of the standings. Hence, it is no surprise that a big club like Man City are currently leading the race to secure the Portuguese starlet’s signature this summer.
Will Mendes Be A Good Signing For Man City This Summer?
Mendes can use his quickness to make some promising runs with the ball down the left wing. He is always willing to turn on the afterburners to get to the byline and can whip in a few inviting crosses into the opponent’s penalty box. The Portuguese whizkid is also a reliable defender at the back as he can get stuck in with some crunching tackles to earn the ball back for his side. Plus, he clears his lines when needed and has got the composure to keep possession moving in tight spaces.
However, Mendes needs to find a way to be more decisive in the final third if he wants to improve his productivity next season. Man City could be an ideal destination for the youngster as he will enjoy playing football under the stewardship of a world-class manager like Pep Guardiola.
The Premier League champions can also benefit from strengthening their squad by recruiting Mendes this summer. He has what it takes to rival Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko for a regular starting spot at the Etihad Stadium in the seasons. With all things considered, Mendes will be a great signing for Man City to pull off ahead of the new campaign as he has the potential to be a world-class talent for them in the future.
