Super agent Jorge Mendes could help Aston Villa secure huge transfers given his good relationship with the club, according to Pete O’Rourke.
The Portuguese agent has a number of high-profile clients including Joao Felix, who is set to leave Atletico Madrid after falling out with manager Diego Simeone, and Aston Villa have been linked with the forward.
Although his price tag may be north of £100m, and with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United reportedly interested, the likelihood of Villa convincing the 23-year-old to trade Madrid for the Midlands is slim, but given the links with Jorge Mendes, it cannot be ruled out.
Speaking exclusively to This Is Futbol, O’Rourke claimed that Mendes could help attract some big-name clients to Villa Park as he is close with the owners.
“It can only help them if they do have a close relationship with Jorge Mendes who is such a massive deal maker in world football as well,” he stated.
“If he can have close relations with the Villa owners, he might help try and persuade his clients to make the move to Villa Park.”
TIF thoughts on Villa, Mendes and Felix…
Although they now have a big-name manager in Unai Emery, a deal to bring Felix to Villa Park looks highly unlikely, as they will have to beat top European clubs to his signature.
However, Mendes could help out with other deals as Emery looks to make his mark on the squad, and someone like Marco Asensio could be one to keep an eye on.
The Spaniard is out of contract with Real Madrid at the end of the season, and Mendes could encourage his client to move to Villa Park depending on the transfer interest he receives as his deal nears completion.