Last year Manchester United were linked with Sporting youngster Nuno Mendes.
Record reported United were keen on the 17-year-old, who at the time, was yet to start a competitive game.
12 months on and Mendes is showing signs of fulfilling his lofty potential already.
Mendes is a regular for Sporting, with 26 first team appearances to his name so far this season at left-back.
Last night he made his Portugal international debut for Portugal, starting in a World Cup qualifying win over Azerbaijan.
United still linked, have alternative options
United were linked to Mendes as recently as this month with The Mail reporting we are still keen, along with Liverpool and Manchester City.
The sticking point is his £63 million release clause, inserted into a contract he signed in December which runs until 2025.
United have alternatives. Left-back is not a position of urgent need, with Luke Shaw playing at a level nobody thought possible last season.
Alex Telles is under utilised as a result, while long-term, United did sign Alvaro Fernandez from Real Madrid and the 18-year-old has been really impressive, stepping up to play regularly for under-23s.
Unlike 18-year-old Nuno Mendes, Fernandez is not yet a senior international, or anywhere near.
Sporting president Frederico Varandas told The Mail last year he regarded Mendes as ‘the best Under 19 left-back in Europe’.
This was a lofty boast considering Mendes had not played a first team game at the time. Right now it looks to be a spot-on comment.
United perhaps should have listened, rather than signing Alex Telles, and gone for the younger prospect. It’s easy to say with hindsight of course.
Sporting do have a track record of quality buys from Sporting; Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, and most recently, Bruno Fernandes.
As far as priorities go, left-back is near the bottom of the list this summer, but Nuno Mendes’ rising stock as a budding superstar is worth noting for the future.
Fernandes played 45 minutes
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have been pleased to see Bruno Fernandes start this game on the bench.
Fernandes has been overplayed this season for club and country, and it was good to see him get a brief rest.
It only lasted until half-time, with Fernandes trying his best to score, in addition to creating two chances. He had five shots at goal, all on target, but could not find a way through.
Neither could Cristiano Ronaldo, who also drew a blank. Portugal needed an own goal to sneak a 1-0 win.
Fernandes will likely be back in Portugal’s starting line-up against Serbia at the weekend.
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