Tom Parker from Talking Wolves has been raving over the possibility of signing Nuno Mendes from Sporting Libson and has likened him to current Wolves ace Adama Traore.
Traore has been linked with a move away from the Midlands this summer, with a few players expected to follow Nuno Espirito Santo out of the door this summer, while Mendes has himself been linked with an exit from Sporting.
Speaking about potential signings for the summer window under new manager Bruno Lage, Parker had this to say about Mendes as he labelled him a “dream”:
“So, my dream buy for [left-back] would be new Nuno Mendes. He’s been linked with Manchester United and Manchester City, he’s probably going to sell for around £40-50 million.
“So again, very, very expensive option and one that Wolves don’t tend to go for. But, he does play for Sporting and we do have good relations with Sporting after signing [Rui] Patricio from them. And we’ve certainly got the ability to attract players from Portugal.
“He’s Portuguese, 18 years of age and he’s unbelievable. He can play left-back and left-mid. I can understand why Man United and Man City are after him because he’s so good on the ball. He’s a bit like an Adama Traore, to be honest, except he’s got much more mature end-product for someone his age.
“I do think he can be a little bit rash with his shooting, but at 18 years of age, you’re going to expect him to be a little bit raw. In terms of his ability on the ball, he’s very good at getting out of tight spaces.”
TIF Thoughts on Mendes potentially joining Wolves…
Mendes, if he was to sign for Wolves, would offer a great deal of versatility to Lage’s side. Having played the majority of his games at left-midfield last season, combined with a few appearances at left-back, he could be a shrewd signing if Wolves were able to fend off reported interest from Manchester City.
Aged 18, Mendes already boasts a pretty impressive CV, having played 29 times in the league as Sporting Lisbon claimed their 19th league title this season, he also has five international caps for his national side, Portugal.
It’s well known that Wolves have strong links back in Portugal, mainly down to ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes and his rich list of clients. Wolves have already dealt with Sporting before when they signed Rui Patricio in 2018, so they could be able to strike a deal for the wonderkid who is currently valued at £36million (according to TransferMarkt).