Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal handed Nuno Mendes blow?

Sporting Lisbon are reportedly on the verge of raising the release clause of teenage defender Nuno Mendes to €70m (£62.8m) in order to hold off interest from England.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are all said to be keeping tabs on the 18-year-old, who broke into Sporting's first team in the latter stages of last season.

Mendes has already featured on nine occasions for his Portuguese club in 2020-21, while he recently signed a new deal until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

There is allegedly a €45m (£40.4m) release clause in the youngster's current contract, but according to Record, Sporting have reached an agreement to raise the buy-out fee to €70m (£62.8m).

Mendes shares an agent with Bruno Fernandes, who left the Portuguese giants during the January transfer window to complete a move to United.

The defender, who has already been capped at Under-21 level by Portugal, has been with the Green and Whites since the age of 10.