Nuno Mendes: Player Profile | European Football’s Brightest Defensive Prospect?
Nuno Mendes is a Portuguese left-back, currently on loan at Paris Saint Germain from Sporting. Mendes is only 19 years old, yet he’s already a full Portugal international.
Standing at just 5’9, Mendes relies on speed and agility to compensate for a lack of size and strength.
He’s widely regarded as one of the best young full-backs on the planet, a superb technician with the potential to develop into an elite left-sided player. Let’s learn a bit more about the PSG starlet…
Nuno Mendes Career So Far…
Idolising Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo when he was growing up, Nuno Mendes caught the eye of his school teacher at just 10 years of age. It didn’t take long for Mendes to attract interest from professional clubs, with all of Portugal’s ‘Big Three’ reportedly trying to recruit him.
Born and raised just outside of Lisbon in Sintra, it was only fitting that Mendes joined Sporting’s academy before his 11th birthday.
Living in a deprived neighbourhood, Mendes’ first four years with Sporting were a grind, involving a two-hour trip to training every night with his teacher. At 14, he moved to Sporting’s academy.
Like many modern full-backs, Mendes began in attacking positions, often operating as a 10 for academy sides. The transition to left-back was rocky at first, but he soon found his feet, and flourished when given the freedom to get forward.
Nuno Mendes developed a reputation in Sporting’s academy. He was considered one of the club’s better youth prospects when the season was halted in 2020, and upon the resumption, he was called up to the first team.
In May of that year, Rúben Amorim handed Mendes his senior debut as a substitute for Argentine international Marcos Acuña.
Acuña departed for Sevilla, leaving a vacancy at left-back. Mendes ascended, slotting in as first-choice for Amorim, and becoming the youngest starter for the club since his childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mendes ultimately recorded 29 appearances in the 2020-21 Primeira Liga campaign, a season which ended in Sporting’s first league title since 2001-02.
Midway through the season, Mendes penned a new contract with the Verde e brancos, crucially increasing his release clause from €45 million to €70 million.
Earning a Team of the Year selection in Sporting’s triumphant season, Mendes naturally attracted interest from Europe’s financial superpowers.
PSG came calling in the 2021 offseason, and landed Mendes on a season-long loan with a £6 million initial fee. The Ligue 1 juggernaut has a £34 million option to buy.
Now seen donning the latest PSG kits, Mendes’ arrival was overlooked amid the club’s high-profile acquisitions of Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sergio Ramos.
He has immediately become an important member of the squad, however, starting in crucial Champions League matches against Leipzig and Manchester City.
Nuno Mendes Salary
According to FootballTransfers.com, Nuno Mendes is on €3 million per year at Paris Saint Germain. Only Colin Dagba and Alexandre Letellier are on less month per year at the Parisian club.
Mendes’ salary is the same as third-choice goalkeeper Sergio Rico. This figure, however, leaves Mendes a long way off many of his other teammates with Thilo Kehrer on €4.9 million and fellow left-back Layvin Kurzawa on €5.4 million.
There are 11 members of the PSG squad on over €10 million per year. At the top of that pile, unsurprisingly, is Lionel Messi and Neymar with the former Barcelona pair earning €37.9 million and €36.7 million respectively.
International Career
Nuno Mendes spent his teenage years working up the age groups for Portugal.
Representing A Seleção at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19, Mendes earned his first cap with the under-21s shortly after his senior debut with Sporting.
As is often the case with young stars, Mendes was withdrawn from the under-21 squad ahead of the European Championships because he was called up to the senior team.
His debut came in March 2021 against Azerbaijan, and he was included in the Euro 2020 squad, but didn’t record any minutes in the tournament.
Mendes has started in four of Portugal’s seven matches since the Euros and he could be a stalwart in the national side for years to come.
Style of Play
Like many young, marauding full-backs, Nuno Mendes has an exceptional skill set in possession.
The comparison to other players like him continues into the criticism of his defensive ability, which has been highlighted by several pundits in the early seasons of his career.
Mendes has lightning acceleration and a top speed to burn past even the sharpest of opponents. He’s a nightmare to defend on the overlap and has the close control – nurtured during his days as an attacking midfielder – to dribble past opponents.
While his decision-making can be frustrating for fans at times, Mendes is not afraid to whip in a cross from the left flank.
Sporting made great use of Mendes’ engine in the wing-back role. Explosive in attack and with the energy to get back and support his back three in defence, Mendes was impactful at both ends of the field.
He’s got work to do on his defensive game – just like Trent Alexander-Arnold – but some of his weaknesses are just down to a lack of experience.
Mendes has already followed in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma (the only two players to score for Sporting at a younger age).
With a bag of tricks reminiscent of Ronaldinho in his pomp according to reports from Portugal, the sky really is the limit for Mendes.
The potential £40 million fee could prove to be a bargain – Mendes has the potential to succeed Marcelo as the finest attacking left-back of his generation.