Liverpool’s ‘increasingly close and trusting relationship’ with Jorge Mendes could reap its rewards for the club once more as reports link the Reds with moves for both Enzo Fernandez and Matheus Nunes.
The super agent helped broker a deal between Benfica and Jurgen Klopp’s men for the £64m (up front) transfer of Darwin Nunez to Anfield.
“The increasingly close and trusting relationship between the Portuguese businessman Jorge Mendes, who manages the ex-sportinguist’s career, with the new sporting director of the reds, the Englishman Julian Ward, also weighs in favor of the eventual negotiation,” Bruno Andrade wrote for UOL Sport. “Both led the popular transfer of Uruguayan striker Darwin Núñez – traded by Benfica in exchange for 75 million euros + 25 million euros for goals.”
Moves as early as in the winter window, as has been touted for the Wolves star, have to be considered extremely unlikely given the finances involved, though it’s a relationship one can count on Julian Ward exploiting again if the need arises.
“The 21-year-old Argentinian arrived at the Portuguese club in June, bought from River Plate for €10 million + €8 million for goals, and had the entire deal brokered by Mendes, along with Argentine agent Eugenio López,” the journalist wrote in the same piece.
Though Thiago Alcantara’s return to the squad is a cause for celebration, the reality remains that we can ill afford to throw the dice on his availability for the season when it seems that our success will be hugely dependent on him avoiding a further spell on the sidelines.
That’s not to say the situation won’t improve once our options are bolstered by Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita’s injury spells ending.
We do also possess an as-of-yet-unknown quantity in English football in Arthur Melo who could turn out to be the ace up the sleeve we’ve needed all along.
Again, it’s a gamble that may well force Liverpool back to the transfer market at the next available opportunity and into the waiting arms of Jorge Mendes.