In a major development, Portuguese superagent Jorge Mendes has recently landed in Barcelona.
Mendes, who represents players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and even Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, shares a close relationship with Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
Mendes served as a mastermind behind Barcelona’s deals to sign Cancelo and Felix last summer and has been critical to the club’s moves in the transfer market in recent years.
Mendes to hold meeting with Laporta
According to Gerard Romero, the main motive of Jorge Mendes’ Barcelona visit is to hold an important meeting with Joan Laporta.
This meeting against the backdrop of Barcelona’s recent draw with Athletic Club, where the club lost two key players Pedri and Frenkie de Jong to injuries.
Not to mention, there is immense pressure on coach Xavi Hernandez, with Barcelona reportedly considering sacking the Spaniard if the team fails to qualify for the quarterfinal stage of the UEFA Champions League.
What could be the topic of discussion?
Keeping all of these recent developments in mind, Gerard Romero suggests Laporta and Mendes are expected to talk about many pending files at Barça.
This includes the situation of Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo. Both the players are on loan only until the end of the season.
Barcelona are keen on securing a permanent deal for Cancelo, but Manchester City are holding out for a high valuation. Mendes’ influence, therefore, could be key in this aspect.
Another topic of discussing could be Barcelona’s search for a new manager. Mendes has strong influence in Europe and is the representative of Portuguese manager Sergio Conceicao, who has been linked with the Barcelona job in the past.
All things considered, Laporta’s meeting with Mendes marks an important step, as far as Barcelona’s squad planning for the season ahead is concerned. More details are likely to come out in the near future.
