18th October - As reported by the Daily Mail, Manchester City have appointed Sporting Lisbon's director of football, Hugo Viana, as their new sporting director, sparking rumors of super agent Jorge Mendes having an influence on the club's future transfers.
Current sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, will be leaving at the end of the season and the 41-year-old Viana will take over his role. It is well known that Mendes represents some of the biggest names in football, and Viana has had a close relationship with Mendes for a long time. Given their connection, it is expected that Mendes will now play a more active role in Manchester City's player recruitment.
Mendes has already established a strong working relationship with Manchester City. Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Cancelo, who are currently key players in City's squad, are all clients of Mendes' Gestifute agency. Furthermore, young talents such as Pedro Neto, Nuno Mendes, and Joao Novais, who are attracting a lot of attention, are also represented by Mendes.
With Viana's appointment and Mendes' influence, it is likely that Manchester City will continue to explore opportunities in the transfer market through their partnership with Mendes. This could potentially result in the arrival of more high-profile and talented players to strengthen the squad in the future.
