Recent reports from The Mirror state that Manchester United’s pursuit of Nuno Mendes is far from over as Ole Gunnar Solksjaer looks keen on signing the 18-year-old wonder kid from Sporting Lisbon in the coming months to add to his defensive options ahead of the new season.
The report further states that United will face fierce competition from other English clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea as they have been keeping tabs on his development for a long time now.
Mendes was reportedly offered as a part of the deal that saw Bruno Fernandes join United this January, but Solskjaer turned it down. The prodigious left-back made his breakthrough at the Portuguese club this season, recording thirty-five appearances for the Green and Whites. Besides, Mendes has won four caps for Portugal’s U21 team and is now a part of the Portugal international squad going into the UEFA European Championship.
Scouting Nuno Mendes: What Makes The 18-Year-Old So Special?
Having come through the ranks at Sporting CP, Nuno Mendes made his professional debut in June last year, thus becoming the second-youngest player to appear for Sporting behind Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo. A string of commendable performances followed, and it saw him emerge as his side’s first-choice left-back ahead of the 2020/21 season.
The Portuguese youngster has managed to put up some impressive numbers on the board this season, both defensively and offensively – averaging 1.7 tackles, 2.1 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 1.1 key passes, 1.4 crosses, 1.6 long balls, and 1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Portuguese top flight. Nuno’s ability to understand certain in-game situations is far beyond his years, especially when he’s going forward. Besides winning the ball using his sheer strength and power, Nuno doesn’t refrain from bursting forward to dribble past the opposition players and put threatening crosses into the box.
While the youngster’s technique and ball control can be tagged above-average, his powerful runs make him a highly advantageous asset as he adds a new dimension to his team’s attack. Last but not least, Nuno’s versatility makes him more appealing. He can fill in the conventional left-back and left-sided centre-back positions as well as the contemporary left wing-back position.
The Right Fit For Ole?
The Norwegian tactician has plenty of options to choose from when it comes to the left-back spot – summer signing Alex Telles, Luke Shaw, and academy graduate Brandon Williams being some of them. Signing another player to fill in the same position doesn’t make much sense given the current circumstances. It’s more likely that Solskjaer will prioritise investing in other positions, like a centre-back, a defensive midfielder or a striker.
Having said that, it remains to be seen if the Red Devils decide to get the highly-rated youngster on board; perhaps signing him for the future makes some sense.
(Stats from WhoScored)
