Who is Nuno Mendes? Man City have reserved €60M for Sporting Lisbon left-back

At the tender age of 18, Sporting Lisbon's left-back Nuno Mendes has already made 29 first-team appearances for the club in the Primeira Liga and has seemed to impress many across Europe. Both Manchester clubs are interested in signing the teenager with Manchester City already having reserved €60M for the left-back. So here is a deeper look into who is Nuno Mendes and why is he rated so highly by several top European clubs?

Man City transfer news: Who is Nuno Mendes?

According to local journalist Jose Manuel Freitas, Manchester City will sign Nuno Mendes from Sporting Lisbon this summer for a fee reportedly up to €60M with further add ons. Speaking to SIC Noticias earlier this week, Freitas suggested that City were looking at Mendes to improve the club's left-back position. It is believed that Mendes could be Pep Guardiola's ideal replacement for the left-back position as Benjamin Mendy is showing a lack of consistency and Eric Garcia has been confirmed moving back to his boyhood club Barcelona.

With Sporting wanting €70 million for the teenage sensation the Nuno Mendes Man City transfer can be completed in several ways. Manchester City could pay €40 million or €45 million in an initial cash fee plus the loan of a player and performance bonuses on top. Doing so will bring the total valuation of the transfer nearer to Sporting's asking price.

Man City transfer news: Can Manchester United hijack Nuno Mendes Man City move?

However, there was also a contrasting report that emerged from Portugual as there are claims that Nuno Mendes' agent Miguel Pinho should meet with Manchester City this week only after he has spoken to Manchester United first. According to information from Record (translated and relayed by Sport Witness), it is believed that Pinho is already in Manchester and was also in attendance at Old Trafford on Tuesday night to watch Manchester United's 1-1 draw against Fulham. And that is not it as Mendes and his Portugual teammate Bruno Fernandes share the same agent.

Fernandes has made no secret of his friendship with the 18-year old sensation as after the Portugal Euro 2020 squad was announced, he had a call with Mendes. He added a picture of the facetime call on his official Instagram handle. Hence it is believed that Pinho was present at Old Trafford to offer Mendes to Manchester United.

Nuno Mendes stats: 18-year old left-back included in Portugal Euro 2020 squad

Nuno Mendes broke into the Sporting first team last season and made his professional debut in June 2020. The left-back also made it into the Portugal squad for the World Cup qualifiers last year and has been included in the Portugual Euro 2020 squad as well. The 18-year old has made 29 appearances for Sporting Lisbon in the Primeira Liga this season and has also scored one goal and an assist.