Jorge Mendes’ presence in Barcelona has raised a lot of questions, but of course the Portuguese media believe it’s to do with one of their biggest stories. And, of course, Manchester United are dragged in along the way.
O Jogo treats the agent’s meeting as if was only to talk about Nelson Semedo, as even though Mendes is not officially his representative, he’s authorised to negotiate on Benfica’s behalf.
Club president Luis Filipe Vieira first had the intention to sell Semedo for €50m, then changed it to €40m, but now neither Manchester United or Barcelona want to pay more than €35m.
The Catalan club, however, still have Hector Bellerin from Arsenal as Plan A, so things aren’t happening so quickly with them.
It’s not the same with Manchester United, as O Jogo claims the English club have already taken the decision to advance. An official offer, however, hasn’t been reported so far.
A few of the claims are coming from the Catalan press, and O Jogo doesn’t really want to make it clear the real sources of each piece of information.
Semedo’s departure is treated as perfectly normal for Benfica. The club plan to make more money and have already signed two young right-backs, so there’s backup if things keep moving.
