Nuno Mendes is a player who is consistently in the news.

The Sporting CP left-back is attracting interest from across Europe if reports are to be believed.

Liverpool are in the race, as are Manchester United, along with Italian clubs Inter Milan and Juventus, all of whom would like to secure the 18-year-old’s signature.

He has made his first-team breakthrough across the past two seasons, playing nine times in Liga NOS last season and eight times already this term.

He has scored one goal in that time and it is little surprise Sporting are desperately trying to convince him to sign a new contract, which would raise his release clause of €45m (£40.6m).

It appears that the Reds have already tried to spirit him away from Portugal, though.

Sport Witness carries a report from O Jogo claiming that Liverpool actually made their first bid for Mendes in the summer.

p1eomvrnr2662q4ijo01a15b13h.jpg

They tabled an offer worth €22m (£19.8m), per the piece, as they looked to strengthen their backline.

Sporting weren’t keen, though, especially given the release clause in his contract.

Liverpool demurred and signed Kostas Tsimiskas instead, bringing him in from Olympiacos to provide back-up to Andy Robertson.

It appears that their interest has not waned, though, and they will be monitoring developments closely; the report also states that Sporting are hopeful Mendes will commit to fresh terms, which will surely see his buyout clause rise exponentially.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

Liverpool might end up kicking themselves here.

Mendes’ price at the moment is clear: £40.6m.

Now, of course, one cannot say that the Reds definitely had that money to spend on a back-up left-back, especially a teenage back-up left-back.

But Mendes is now one of the hottest properties in Europe, wanted by elite club after elite club, and Sporting know that.

p1eomvsgpbnu41fa1dsq1jqf1f0rj.jpg

They are trying to raise his buyout clause for this very reason and one has to think that Liverpool should have just paid up.

It would have been a costly investment, but it could have paid off in spades, as they would have beaten their rivals to the punch.

Instead, they’ve been left with their nose pressed up against the glass.