Jorge Mendes was in Barcelona on Wednesday discussing various issues with the Barça board, including the rumours swirling around the future of Ansu Fati along with the contract extension of Alejandro Balde.
But according to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Jorge Mendes also talked about Ruben Neves, even offering Barcelona the opportunity to sign the midfielder in the coming summer.
Neves, who currently plies his trade for Wolverhampton Wanderers, has been identified as one of the top candidates to replace Sergio Busquets. The Barça veteran’s contract expires at the end of the season and the player has been frustrated by the lack of a renewal offer.
This could finally pave the way for Busquets to consider offers from abroad, which in turn, could further accentuate the need for a new midfielder.
That is where Jorge Mendes comes into the fray. The Portuguese agent has an excellent relationship with Joan Laporta and has offered him the opportunity to sign Neves next season on a cut-price deal, considering the fact that the player’s current deal at Wolves expires in 2024.
However, the idea of singing Neves is not fully welcome by Xavi Hernandez. The Barcelona coach sees certain deficiencies in the Portuguese international when it comes to him being the desired replacement for Busquets.
Instead, Xavi is favouring the option of Martin Zubimendi, the Real Sociedad starlet who has extensive experience in Spanish football. However, whether or not Barcelona can afford the midfielder’s €60 million release clause remains to be seen.
A lot may depend on how Barcelona approach the market. As mentioned earlier, Fati’s future has been discussed by Mendes as well, and should the forward depart Camp Nou in the summer, it could open up a sizable revenue source for Barça.
