PSG has just made official the final purchase of Nuno Mendes. The Portuguese leaves Sporting to join Paris until 2026. But, things got complicated in the last straight with the intrusion of Real in the file.
A young Portuguese football talent, Nuno Mendes had arrived at PSG last summer after winning the national title with Sporting. On loan at the Parisian club, he quickly showed his qualities as a left-back until he was included in the standard Ligue 1 team at just 19 years old. It is only natural that PSG have decided to buy it for good in the future. A seemingly simple operation but one that surprised him by being longer than the predictions suggested. It must be said that PSG had to face a bit of competition, arriving late, but having raised the bill for the Parisian management.
Did Real Madrid want to chip in Mendes?
PSG knows this competitor very well since it is Real Madrid. Accustomed to targeting the same players as the Parisians, the meringue club has shown interest in Nuno Mendes at Sporting. This is what the newspaper L’Equipe revealed this Wednesday. A vague maneuver that was ultimately in vain as PSG signed the Portuguese winger.
Excl: Paris Saint-Germain have now officially triggered buy option clause for Nuno Mendes, comunication has arrived to Sporting with an official letter from PSG. 100% done. ⁇ #PSG
Nuno Mendes [here with his agent Miguel Pinho in Paris] becomes PSG player for € 40m fee. pic.twitter.com/UIsIiRYQYk
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 30, 2022
However, this was not without consequences for the Parisian club. Indeed, according to the Lusitanian press, PSG wanted to obtain a reduction on the transfer price of Nuno Mendes. But Real Madrid’s intrusion into the file made it impossible. In a strong position, Sporting claimed the entire purchase option set at at least 38 million euros. Was Real really seduced by the player or did he want to complicate the Parisian task? It would seem that the second explanation is holding the road. One thing is for sure, in Madrid, the Kylian Mbappé case has still not been digested.