A lot of release clauses will be worth far more than a player’s market value just now, but any potential buyers will still need to pay it if a club isn’t willing to sell.
Sporting CP defender Nuno Mendes has enjoyed a break through season for his club and he’s also represented his country all the way through to U21 level, so it’s understandable that he’ll be in high demand.
He tends to play as a left back but he’s tall and physical enough to handle playing inside as well, so that versatility will only make him more appealing to interested clubs.
READ MORE: Keith Hackett’s English refereeing review: Technology has changed the way we watch the Premier League – Let’s use it to our advantage to help VAR and the referees
A report from Football Italia has quoted A Bola in saying that Juventus have shown an interest in signing the young defender, but it’s believed that Arsenal and Man United are monitoring him too.
It’s suggested that he has a release clause of €70m so it’s hard to see that being triggered, but he also signed a new contract through to 2025 so Sporting won’t be in any need to sell him for a low fee either.
He does fit the profile of player that Juventus have been targeting as Andrea Pirlo looks to bring the age of the squad down, while Bonucci and Chiellini are both getting older so they need to have a succession plan in place.
William Saliba’s situation at Arsenal suggests that Mendes should avoid The Emirates unless he’s offered guarantees over his playing time, while Man United don’t need a left back just now so they would need to be confident about his ability to play in the middle.
As is often the case it would probably be best for him to stay at Sporting and play regularly for a few seasons, but it doesn’t always work out like that.