Manchester City are reportedly lining up a bid for 18-year-old Sporting Lisbon defender Nuno Mendes.
The Portugal international has played a key role this season for Sporting, who claimed their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years on Tuesday.
According to MailOnline, City have already made contact with Mendes’ agent, Miguel Pinho. Pinho also represents Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes left Sporting for a club-record fee of almost £47 million in January last year, and Sporting are expected to demand even more than that for Mendes, who has a £60 million release clause.
However, City will reportedly try to prise Mendes away with an offer of around £52 million.
Pep Guardiola is said to be a big fan of Mendes, who only made his Sporting debut towards the end of last season.
He’s gone on to feature 30 times for Ruben Amorim’s side in all competitions this season, though, as well as making his senior debut for Portugal in March’s World Cup qualifying win over Azerbaijan.
The left-back position is something of a problem for newly-crowned Premier League champions City, with Benjamin Mendy continuing to be blighted by injury problems. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Joao Cancelo have both taken to the position well, but Mendes would give Guardiola another out-and-out left-back option.
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