Reported Liverpool and Everton target Nuno Mendes isn’t extending his contract at Sporting Lisbon and doesn’t want to see his £40 million release clause increased, according to CM Jornal.
He may be just 13 Primeira Liga games into his senior career but a man born just weeks after El Hadji Diouf arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2002 already has some of the biggest clubs in Europe hot on his tail.
Doesn’t that make you feel old?
Premier League giants Liverpool and Arsenal, both of whom are always on the lookout for the next generation of superstars, have made approaches in recent weeks (Record and O Jogo).
As it stands, Mendes has five years left on his contract at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. But it isn’t the length of the deal that has Sporting president Frederico Varandas waking up in cold sweats.
Instead, it’s that pesky £40 million release clause that’s causing concern in the green-and-white corner of Lisbon.
According to CM Jornal, Sporting want to agree a new contract that would increase Mendes’ release clause to somewhere in the region of £90 million.
Unfortunately for Varandas, however, a man he believes will be the future of the Portuguese national team is unwilling to play ball (Record).
The report adds Mendes isn’t ready to put pen to paper as he isn’t keen on having a £90 million clause in his contract – one that could serve to block approaches from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.
Does this mean Mendes plans to follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and countless other Sporting academy graduates in the near future? It certainly seems like it.
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