Jorge Mendes focused on attracting the best talent from Spain

The well-known football agent, Jorge Mendes, is focused on working with the best young talent coming out of Spain, report Relevo.

On Sunday, Relevo reported that Lamine Yamal, a 15-year-old striker who plays for FC Barcelona, has chosen the Portuguese agent to negotiate his first professional contract. He is already training with the first team at Barcelona under the orders of Xavi, and could have a big future in the game.

Yamal’s case is just the latest of several in recent months. Another of the most talked about was that of Real Madrid’s Paulo Iago. Both players turn 16 in 2023 and Barcelona and Real Madrid know that they will have to reach an agreement with Mendes if they want to keep them.

When Mendes decided to change the strategy of his agency, he asked for a list of the best talents in Spain, with special emphasis on youth teams such as Barça and Real Madrid, but also Espanyol.

He is now representing Miguel Carvalho, a midfielder at Espanyol, who is playing for Spain at youth level. With Mendes at the helm, Carvalho was close to a move to Barça, but eventually accepted an attractive renewal offer from Espanyol.

Pedro Fernández, one of Barça’s youth team players, is another of those who have been working under the tutelage of Mendes since he arrived at Barcelona at the age of 14, the same age at which the former agent of Cristiano Ronaldo signed Paulo Iago.

According to the report, Mendes is keeping an eye on the situation and usually calls the families of the players every one or two months. If there are no unforeseen events, it is his staff who take care of the day-to-day business. He only appears at times when there are negotiations to be made, be it in January or summer.

During the holiday months, invitations to his house in the Algarve are also frequent, as was the case with Paulo Iago, who went with his family last summer.

Barcelona players

At Barcelona, Mendes manages Ansu Fati, Alejandro Balde, Nico González and Lamine Yamal: four players who will have to decide over the next few months whether to stay at Camp Nou or move on. The Portuguese has a large part to play in Barça’s future, something the club’s directors are well aware of.

Kieran Quaile | GSFN

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