Portuguese full-back Nuno Mendes' renewal rumors with Paris Saint-Germain have been ongoing for a long time. In November, Skira exclusively reported that Nuno Mendes was about to reach a renewal contract with Paris, which would end in 2029; at the beginning of December, Le Parisien also stated that the renewal was imminent and would be announced by the end of the year.
Now, it is already the end of December, and the winter transfer window is about to open, but the renewal between Nuno Mendes and Paris Saint-Germain is still at an impasse. In fact, there has always been some discussion about Mendes' renewal with Paris. Nuno Mendes has been playing for Paris for three seasons. He was signed by Paris Saint-Germain for a buyout fee of 38 million euros from Sporting Portugal.
After signing with Paris, according to disclosures from multiple media outlets and salary statistics, Nuno Mendes' weekly salary is only 27,000 euros, which is slightly higher than the graduates of the youth training program at Paris Saint-Germain. However, Nuno Mendes is now the main left-back for Paris and has even been selected for the Portuguese national team, making this salary seem somewhat meager. Below is a salary table posted by some Paris fans, who also complain about Nuno Mendes' low salary.
So, what kind of contract can Nuno Mendes get in Paris? This depends on how they negotiate. If the salary is not satisfactory, Nuno Mendes may feel that Paris is treating him unfairly, and it would not be surprising if he seeks to leave the team. Plettenberg of German Sky Sports said that Nuno Mendes is not in a hurry to renew his contract with Paris, as his contract does not expire until 2026. Although Paris is ready with the renewal procedures and eager to complete the renewal, Mendes does not think so, and several clubs have already inquired about Mendes' renewal situation.
Hearing this, does it sound familiar? If Paris is unwilling to offer Nuno Mendes the salary he wants, then finding a club to raise the price is the way to go, and the most familiar with this business is Manchester United. When Real Madrid wanted to renew Ramos, Goretzka, and Kimmich with Bayern Munich, their agents released news to the media saying that Manchester United was interested.
Moreover, when Marcus Rashford of Manchester United wanted to negotiate a high-paying contract with Manchester United, his agent brother specifically approached Paris Saint-Germain, saying that Rashford wanted to leave the team, causing Paris Saint-Germain to inquire about Manchester United's pricing. It has become a common tactic during contract renewals to spread transfer rumors with other clubs at key moments. Therefore, when several media outlets such as RMCsport revealed that Nuno Mendes had reached a personal agreement with Manchester United, it is really unclear whether this is a genuine intention to join Manchester United or just using them to raise the price.
Nuno Mendes possesses good forward capabilities, with his forward data ranking among the top 6% of full-backs in Europe, averaging 2.71 dribbles and 5.84 forward passes per game. He has excellent physical qualities and is very adept at one-on-one defense. As a left-footed player, he can use his speed to break through opponents on the sideline and complete crosses at the bottom.
He can also squeeze into the inside and use his right foot to finish shots. Whether it was during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, Sporting Portugal, or even the Portuguese national team, his forward attacking ability on the left flank has always been outstanding, which is one of the reasons why Paris Saint-Germain went to great lengths to sign him.
Of course, such a powerful full-back, and so young, naturally has some issues. His injury record is quite extensive, with at least 10 missed games each season since his time at Sporting Portugal. In the 2022-2023 season, he missed nearly 300 days of play due to a hamstring injury, and his hamstring has had recurring problems since then, similar to Luke Shaw's recurrent hamstring injuries.
Additionally, his contract with Paris does not expire until 2026. If Manchester United genuinely wants to secure Nuno Mendes in the winter transfer window, Paris Saint-Germain's asking price will not be low. There are rumors that Paris is asking for more than 70 million euros, which is already a very high price for a full-back.