Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes has held a high-level meeting with Barcelona’s hierarchy in the city on Wednesday evening, just hours before the club is due to present German forward Karim Adeyemi as their latest signing.
The dinner summit in Barcelona, reported by Catalan newspaper SPORT journalist Carlos Monfort, covered multiple transfer issues, including the future of young midfielder Marc Casado and the possibility of bringing full-back Joao Cancelo back to the club on a permanent basis.
Adeyemi, who is set to be officially unveiled on Thursday, did not take centre stage in the talks, which instead focused on shaping Barca’s wider transfer strategy for the coming windows.
Mendes meets Deco and presidential adviser
According to Monfort, Mendes dined with Barcelona sporting director Deco and Alejandro Echevarria, a key adviser to club president Joan Laporta.
The meeting took place in Barcelona on Wednesday night, as the club finalised preparations for Adeyemi’s presentation at the Camp Nou.
During the talks, the parties discussed the immediate and medium-term plans for several players either represented by Mendes or linked to the club through the agent’s extensive network.
Central to the discussion was 20-year-old midfielder Marc Casado, whose development and role in the first team structure remain under review as Barcelona balance squad needs with financial constraints.
Cancelo return high on agenda
A major topic at the dinner was the future of Portugal international Joao Cancelo, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Barcelona.
Cancelo joined the Catalan side on a temporary deal from Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, and the meeting explored ways of securing his return on a permanent basis.
Barcelona’s coaching staff are understood to view the 30-year-old as a key solution at right-back, but any deal would have to be structured carefully to fit within the club’s financial limits and La Liga’s spending rules.
The talks with Mendes are seen as an important step in trying to unlock an agreement that would see Cancelo rejoin Barcelona after a largely successful loan spell at the Camp Nou.
Futures of Balde and Fort deemed stable
The report adds that Mendes also represents two of Barcelona’s highly rated young defenders, Alejandro Balde and Hector Fort.
However, their situations were not considered urgent during the meeting, with no immediate decisions required on their futures.
Both players are regarded as important parts of the club’s long-term plans and are not currently expected to be involved in major transfer movements this summer.
Agent with influence in both camps
Mendes, one of the most powerful agents in world football, holds strong connections not only at Barcelona but also with their great rivals Real Madrid.
The report notes that he played a decisive role in facilitating the return of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid earlier this summer.
His ability to operate at the highest levels with both Spanish giants underlines the significance of his meeting with Barcelona officials at such a sensitive stage of the transfer market.
With Adeyemi’s official unveiling imminent and the club pushing to reinforce key positions, Wednesday night’s summit underlines how central Mendes has become to Barcelona’s planning – particularly in their pursuit of a permanent deal for Cancelo and the management of emerging talents such as Casado.
