Real Madrid is widely considered the pinnacle of football. Players grow up idolizing Madrid greats and dream of wearing the white crest someday in their careers.
Some of the best names in world football have been loyal Real Madrid servants and have shared the glory of the club while creating some of their own.
Recently, in an interview, one of the most talked-about players in recent times, Nuno Mendes, who was pivotal in stopping the otherwise unstoppable winger Lamine Yamal in the Nations League final, spoke about his idols.
According to Madrid Zone, the Portuguese fullback, when asked about his idols, named one of Real Madrid’s most celebrated fullbacks ever, Marcelo, and then David Alaba as well.
Nuno Mendes was on Real Madrid’s radar a long time ago
I think it is agreeable that Marcelo was one of the most complete modern fullbacks of his age. He was a great defender and even more explosive going forward. His pairing with Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best fullback–winger combinations ever seen. He was simply too good.
And David Alaba too, before his eventual decline, was one of the most successful and consistent fullbacks during his Bayern days. Every team in the world wanted him, and he had a name for himself that not many could match.
Idolizing these two icons is indeed normal. Nuno Mendes is a very solid defender, and his name was never unheard of in the galleries of the Santiago Bernabéu.
Even before his rise at Paris Saint-Germain, Los Blancos had been tracking Mendes ever since his Sporting Lisbon days. Reports trace interest from as early as 2020.
But the club had already spent a hefty sum on signing Ferland Mendy only the previous summer, and spending another 45 million on the Lisbon star was out of the question, especially considering the financial curb during the COVID-19 period.
But now, there is a pressing need for a solid left-back at Real Madrid. The Álvaro Carreras deal is very complicated. Benfica simply won’t let him leave easily. If it makes room for Madrid to welcome Mendes, that would be fantastic, but it appears complicated. His contract with PSG runs until 2029, which gives them the power to demand a very high fee. Plus, the relations between the two clubs are already strained. The Parisians would not want another Kylian Mbappé situation.