Laporta meets Jorge Mendes: Balde, Lamine and Barcelona talks | OneFootball

Joan Laporta and Jorge Mendes had dinner in Barcelona to review matters related to the club’s current situation, in a meeting that sparked interest because of the number of first-team players represented by the powerful Portuguese agent.

Mendes has a close relationship with the Blaugrana club, and his presence in the Catalan capital is usually linked to different first-team matters. However, on this occasion, the meeting was mainly institutional in nature and was not focused on preparing deals for the next transfer window.

The summer window has just closed and, for now, there are no open negotiations for January.

Balde, one of the names on the table

One of Mendes’ players going through a particular situation is Alejandro Balde.

The left-back has lost prominence under Hansi Flick and currently sits behind Xavi Espart and João Cancelo in the pecking order.

His situation has sparked rumors of possible interest from Liverpool, but according to the published information, there is currently no planned move to seek an exit.

There are still several months to go before the winter transfer window, and the situation could change depending on the minutes Balde manages to accumulate during the first half of the season.

For now, Barcelona is not considering making any early decisions.

Lamine Yamal, Mendes’ biggest name at Barça

Beyond Balde, Mendes’ main client at Barcelona is Lamine Yamal.

The young winger is one of the leading candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, whose ceremony will be held next October 26.

And at this point, there is a clear alignment between the agent and the club: Barcelona has fully rallied behind Lamine’s candidacy.

Laporta, Hansi Flick, Deco and Rafael Yuste have publicly backed the player’s chances after he appeared among the 30 nominees for the prestigious award.

The academy graduate’s candidacy has gained even more strength within Barça after the absence of two of the club’s other main stars: Raphinha and Pedri were not included among the nominees.

The Ballon d’Or race is also at stake

The situation adds another layer to the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

While the Blaugrana board has publicly backed Lamine, the Madrid side has done the same with Kylian Mbappé.

José Mourinho has been one of the Real Madrid voices to defend the French striker’s candidacy.

So, with just over a month to go before the ceremony, Lamine and Mbappé appear as two of the main protagonists in a Ballon d’Or race that is also being followed intensely by Spain’s two giants.

For now, the dinner between Laporta and Mendes did not leave any major transfer moves on the table. But with so many matters involving his clients, the relationship between Barcelona and the Portuguese agent will continue to be one of the alliances to watch in the coming months.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.