As a super agent, Mendes holds a very influential position among Portuguese players.
Currently, most of the Portuguese players at Leeds United are represented by him.
This man never acts without reason, so if he's come to Leeds, something is definitely going on.
Bruno Fernandes can be ruled out. Although he has performed well, staying at Leeds United is clearly the best option for him. Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva are more likely candidates, as they are both key players at the club.
Then there's João Félix. The 19-year-old is incredibly talented and full of potential.
In his previous life, he transferred to Atlético Madrid this summer. Unfortunately, Simeone was never good at developing young and technically gifted players, which kept Félix from reaching the heights he should have at Atlético.
Therefore, in this lifetime, Félix should remain at Leeds United.
But here's the issue.
If Mbappé and Dembélé both leave, starting spots will open up at Leeds United. However, Vinícius, Rodrygo, Félix, Grealish, Rashford, and Sancho all have a shot, not to mention the homegrown star Foden, who can also play in those positions.
In addition, Leeds United recently signed Julián Álvarez from Argentina.
All of this puts pressure on Félix.
"Find out what Mendes is here for," Gao Shen instructed.
In theory, agents should communicate with the club in advance, but Leeds United wanted to understand Mendes's intentions early so they could prepare accordingly.
"With De Ligt gone, we need to keep Ruben Dias. Along with Militão and José Fonte, we won't be short of centre-backs next season, especially with Saliba and Fofana recalled from Saint-Étienne."
There's also Gvardiol in the youth team, highly rated by Borrell, but at just 17, he's still too young to stand on his own.
Given the current situation, if Leeds United want stability, they must retain Ruben Dias.
Militão is quite strong but inconsistent, and he still needs more time on the pitch.
This is also why he lost the starting role to the younger De Ligt last season.
"I understand," Borrell nodded.
He was in charge of all squad-building matters.
...
While Gao Shen was having a small meeting with his team in Cheshire, José Sánchez was holding a video conference at a hotel in Leeds with Florentino and the others in Madrid.
In the meeting, aside from updating them on the latest transfer progress, he mentioned someone he had met that afternoon.
Jorge Mendes.
"Why did he go to Leeds?" Butragueño asked curiously through the video call.
This was a crucial time, with the UEFA Nations League final right around the corner. Why was Mendes in Leeds instead of staying in Porto?
"He wants us to consider signing his players," José Sánchez replied.
"Who?"
"Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Félix."
Florentino shook his head. "We're already talking about De Ligt. Ruben Dias's transfer fee would be even higher."
José Sánchez nodded.
The Portuguese centre-back had delivered world-class performances last season. Signing him would cost an astronomical sum. Even if not quite at Van Dijk's level, it wouldn't be far off.
"Bernardo Silva is also on the list. He believes Silva is the most likely successor to Modrić. If we decide to sell Pogba, we should consider bringing in Silva."
Florentino clearly remembered the squad-building plan Gao Shen had previously made for Real Madrid. It had outlined several approaches. In the end, Real Madrid and Florentino had opted for a steady rebuild.
With Mbappé's arrival, Real Madrid's overall competitiveness would improve significantly.
"What does Gao think?" Florentino asked.
"I haven't asked yet."
"Then ask him. He's our technical director."
"Understood."
Florentino then inquired about the transfers of Mbappé and De Ligt, the two highest-priority signings for Real Madrid this summer.
By comparison, Dembélé's transfer wasn't as important. Real Madrid already had Di María, and players like Asensio, Jesé, and Vázquez could all play on the right wing, so there wasn't much urgency.
José Sánchez reported everything point by point.
After the video call ended, Real Madrid's CEO immediately took out his phone and called Gao Shen.
...
"No need to check."
After Gao Shen finished answering José Sánchez's call in the courtyard, he came back inside and spoke to Lucas and Borrell.
Both were surprised.
"Mendes came to recommend Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Félix to Real Madrid."
Neither Lucas nor Borrell was surprised.
That was more or less what they had expected.
Mendes never acts without a purpose. If he had come to Leeds personally, he definitely had something in mind.
At such a critical time, what else could interest him more than a transfer?
"What's Real Madrid's attitude?" Borrell asked with concern.
"They're not interested in Ruben Dias. They just want De Ligt. Mainly because Dias's transfer fee would be higher."
Even though Real Madrid is incredibly wealthy, signing Mbappé for €250 million is still a massive financial hit.
They have to be very selective with their remaining moves.
As for what José Sánchez told Gao Shen, it wasn't a secret. He wasn't worried about Leeds United finding out.
Both sides were being open. The key wasn't about which player Real Madrid wanted to sign, but how the negotiations would go.
Gao Shen wasn't involved in the negotiations, so there was no conflict of interest.
Take Bernardo Silva, for example. Gao Shen didn't give a direct opinion but simply said that if Pogba were sold, Silva would be a solid replacement. That had already been mentioned in the squad-building plan.
Gao Shen had also recommended Milinković, believing he could replace Pogba. Zidane was a big admirer of the Serbian as well.
Between Milinković-Savić and Bernardo Silva, there was no real issue.
Different players meant different tactical setups.
Both were excellent players. The key was who Real Madrid wanted more.
That decision would involve many factors—transfer fees, negotiations, and other external elements beyond Gao Shen's control.
This is also why many coaches don't get the players they want. It's not that the clubs don't try. It's just that the situation is too complicated.
It could be a dispute over transfer fees, salary and bonuses, sponsorships, or even lifestyle and climate differences.
There are just too many variables.
"Mendes seems a little anxious," Lucas said, smiling at Gao Shen.
"That's normal. He was strongly against Ronaldo leaving Real Madrid back then."
Gao Shen had experienced this himself.
Back in 2017, when he wanted to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, Mendes approached him multiple times, trying every possible method to convince him to keep the player. He even went to Florentino and José Sánchez.
Real Madrid ultimately decided to keep Ronaldo, but the Portuguese star still left in the summer of 2018.
Gao Shen could say with certainty that time, it wasn't Mendes's idea. Ronaldo himself wanted to leave.
Eventually, Real Madrid let him go.
"After Ronaldo and Pepe left, Mendes only has Di María left at Real Madrid," Su Qing reminded him.
Di María was already 31. While he was still performing well, age was a concern.
As an agent, Mendes couldn't afford to overlook a club like Real Madrid. He had gone to great lengths in the past to gain access to Florentino's office.
Ronaldo's transfer had strained his relationship with the club to its lowest point. Naturally, Mendes wanted to repair that.
Given Modrić's age and Gao Shen's recommendation, Bernardo Silva seemed like the logical replacement at Real Madrid.
And if João Félix and Ruben Dias joined as well, wouldn't Mendes's relationship with the club be restored?
Gao Shen glanced at his wife and smiled slightly.
Su Qing was always cautious and meticulous. She could spot things others missed.
In short, many questions had now been answered.
"That's what they say, but Mendes is being a bit unruly," Gao Shen said with a faint smile.
Mendes wanted to recommend players to Real Madrid. That was none of Gao Shen's business. Even if he wanted to recommend Leeds United players, Gao Shen didn't mind either. A high transfer fee would benefit the club. Why not?
But all of this was based on the premise that the technical director was kept in the loop.
So what was Mendes doing now?
After arriving in Leeds that afternoon, he went straight to see José Sánchez, without informing Gao Shen or even making a phone call. Did he think Gao Shen was just for show?
This was how agents operated.
Mendes's plan was to finalize an agreement with Real Madrid first, then talk to Leeds United. On paper, this made perfect sense.
But the problem was, Gao Shen was not only the owner of Leeds United but also the technical director of Real Madrid. If Mendes wanted Real Madrid to buy Leeds United players, shouldn't he talk to Gao Shen first?
"What are you planning to do?" Lucas asked with concern.
"Mendes is a clever and useful guy. We'll work with him again in the future, but we must make sure he never steps over us. Since we're all in the service industry, we must follow the rules and set an example."
Over the years, Leeds United had gained a reputation for being easy to work with. If you paid the fee, the player was yours.
But now, the club needed to change its strategy.
In the past, Leeds United had turned a blind eye to the agents' behavior. That would no longer be the case.
Rules had to be set. Otherwise, there would be endless trouble when dealing with agents later.
With that in mind, Gao Shen took out his phone, found Mendes's number, and dialed it.
"Jorge, why didn't you call me before coming to Leeds? I could have arranged for someone to pick you up."
(To be continued.)