Chelsea have joined Manchester City and Manchester United in the battle for Sporting Lisbon left-back Nuno Mendes, according to reports in the Portuguese media.

The teenager’s agent was in England last week to discuss a potential move to one of the two Manchester clubs, but it is believed that the Blues have now also contacted the player’s representative to discuss the details of a possible deal.

Mendes does reportedly have a €70m (£60m) release clause and Sporting president Frederico Varanda is said to be unwilling to negotiate down the price, after being disappointed about the size of the fees that have been initially proposed from interested clubs.

At this stage, it is believed that City are leading the race for the 18-year-old, and with Pep Guardiola’s side having a greater need for a left-back, that is not a surprise.

There could be a space in Chelsea’s squad if the Blues do decide to offload Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri this summer, but they are not likely to invest a hefty sum on Mendes, considering they spent heavily on Ben Chilwell last year.