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One of the most influential agents in world football, Jorge Mendes, has revealed that he has talked about “various players” with Barcelona. Mendes reportedly (via Mundo Deportivo) had dinner with some of the key figures in Barca's management on Wednesday (June 8).
Mendes, who represents the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, and more prominent names, reportedly met with the Barca leadership at the Via Veneto restaurant in the Catalonian capital.
Club president Joan Laporta, sporting vice-president Rafa Yuste, sporting director Mateu Alemany, and Jordi Cruyff were all present at the meeting.
A couple of hours after the dinner, Mendes confirmed that he had discussed Nico Gonzalez’s case with Barcelona, stating that they didn’t want to sell him. He added that he also discussed a few other players with the Blaugrana hierarchy. Mendes (via Mundo Deportivo) said:
“They don't want to sell Nico González although there are offers for him, he is going to stay, but we have talked about several players and everything has gone well.”
Barcelona, who finished second in La Liga in the 2021-22 season, need reinforcements to be more competitive next term. With Ousmane Dembele’s contract expiring soon, they need a creative presence up top.
They also require more quality in midfield, especially if Frenkie de Jong is sold to acquire funds for the summer (via Goal).
Barcelona could have discussed Angel Di Maria’s transfer with Jorge Mendes
Jorge Mendes’ dinner in Catalonia comes at a curious time. Mendes’ client Angel Di Maria has recently been linked with the Blaugrana, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Argentine was one of the “various players” the two parties discussed.
As per reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona coach Xavi has already made contact with Di Maria, who is set to become a free agent on July 1. Juventus are also in the running for the players’ services but the two parties are yet to reach an agreement. The Argentine is expected to make the final call about his decision sooner rather than later.
Di Maria, of course, is a former Real Madrid player who greatly helped them to their 10th Champions League title (La Decima) in 2014. It will be interesting to see how Madridistas react if he ends up joining their bitter rivals this summer.
