Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has called on the club to move to Sporting left-back Nuno Mendes this summer.
The 18-year-old has impressed Fernande’s previous employers this season when they are at the top of the Premier League and have made 20 appearances so far.
United have a healthy list of left-backs, but have recently begun a conscious effort to acquire high-ranking young footballers from around the world.
Mendes impressed with Sporting | Gualter Fatia / Getty Images
According to the Portuguese outlet Record, Mendes may be next on the list, claiming that Fernandes is running the club to make a move for the teenager, with whom he played before signing for United himself in January 2020.
They further report that current Man Utd left-back Alex Telles could be offered Sporting as part of a swap agreement to facilitate the move, which would see their more experienced left-back replaced with a younger alternative, even though Telles himself only arrived. from Primeira Liga last summer.
Although the move would be quite unusual given that Telles has barely been at Old Trafford for a year, there is logic in the sense that Mendes would be an option for the future and fit more into United’s recruitment process of late, especially when looking at the signings of Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo.
Mendes has made 35 appearances for Sporting’s first team despite being only 18 years old and would come to United with some senior experience already under his belt. It still does not solve direct problems, but the club still lacks the same options on the right back.
Telles has so far only managed 18 games for United, where Luke Shaw found his best form and prevented him from the first choice XI. The Englishman has created more chances than any other defender in the Premier League this season and has recently been recalled to the national side.
It may tempt the Brazilian to consider a departure, but switching him to another left-back feels a bit low on United’s priority list.
