Did Nuno Mendes play under Rúben Amorim? Sporting stats explained amid Manchester United bid

Nuno Mendes’ Sporting CP statistics under Rúben Amorim explained as Manchester United start their efforts to sign the Portuguese international from Paris St. Germain.

Manchester United have reportedly made an approach to sign Paris St. Germain left-back Nuno Mendes in 2025 amid struggles at Old Trafford.

With new head coach Rúben Amorim so far failing to plug United’s leaky defence, with the club particularly suffering in set pieces, there is little doubt that they will look to the 2025 transfer market to solve their problems.

United have had historic issues at left-back across the last decade, with mainstay Luke Shaw suffering from multiple injury issues ever since he broke his leg in two places during a Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven in 2015.

Current understudy to Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, has also just recovered from a 17-month absence after a knee injury left him needing multiple operations.

While Diogo Dalot has covered the position over the last 12 months, Amorim has previously admitted he knows the player is more comfortable on the right-hand side.

Has Mendes played under Amorim at Sporting?

Before 22-year-old Mendes joined PSG in 2021 on a season-long loan deal with the option to make it a permanent for a £34 million fee, the young full-back was a product of Sporting CP’s academy.

Sporting, of course, is the side that Amorim joined United from last month after the club sacked Erik ten Hag following a poor start to the season, and many have wondered if Mendes played under Amorim before the player’s move to France.

The truth is that although Mendes only had one full season under Amorim at the Portuguese club, he became an integral player, making 47 appearances before joining PSG at the age of 19. Amorim handed Mendes his first-team debut in June 2020, just days before he turned 18.

Mendes won the Portuguese title and League Cup with Amorim in 2020/21, playing 29 times in the league, mainly as a left wing-back, scoring once and providing two assists. He made 35 appearances across all competitions that season.

This was also the season where Mendes started to become a regular for Portugal, making nine appearances for the national team after being part of their squad for the 2020 European Championships, although he didn’t make an appearance and Portugal were knocked out by Belgium in the Round of 16.

Mendes’s statistics at PSG

Since his transfer to France, he has made 99 appearances for PSG, scoring five times and providing 13 assists, and is yet to pick up a red card in his career.

He signed for PSG in the same window they captured Lionel Messi from Barcelona but has outlasted the Argentinian legend at the Ligue 1 club, and in his four seasons so far has made himself a mainstay at left-back, playing 65 times in the league.

Of his 16 appearances this season, he has started 15 of those, including playing all of PSG’s Champions League ties, showing his clear importance to Luis Enrique’s team.

However, a concern that must be noted is that Mendes missed 58 games for club and country during the 2022/23 campaign with a hamstring problem, but has not missed a minute since through injury.

Although PSG want to keep him at the club and are keen to extend his deal beyond 2026, Mendes is said to view himself elsewhere as he feels his current side’s proposed new contract does not reflect his importance in the side.

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