Jorge Mendes: Bernardo Silva was written off and Joao Felix joined Benfica as a favour

Jorge Mendes says several clubs dismissed Bernardo Silva’s potential early in his career, while Joao Felix joined Benfica in what the Portuguese agent described as “almost a favour”.

Speaking at the “Leading the Game” forum, part of the Executive MBA in Football Management run by Catolica Porto Business School in partnership with the Portuguese League, Mendes recalled the difficulties he faced in persuading clubs to take chances on players who later became major figures in world football.

“Bernardo Silva is one example,” Mendes said. “I was told several times: ‘Jorge, forget it, you have no chance. Bernardo Silva will never become an important player. The most he can do is play in the first or second division, perhaps for a team like Pacos de Ferreira.’”

Mendes said it was particularly difficult to convince clubs about players coming through youth systems, where physical strength often took priority.

“Everything is very relative, and it becomes even more complicated when we are talking about players in youth teams, because some clubs give priority to those who are physically stronger,” he said.

“Everyone rejected the idea. When he moved to Monaco, the club did not want to keep him after his first year and I had to convince the president.”

Bernardo Silva eventually joined Manchester City, where Mendes believes his style was better suited.

“He was a player who relied on having the ball, rather than someone who ran everywhere,” Mendes said. “That is also why he moved to Manchester City, which was the right team for him. It later became clear that we were looking at one of the best players in the history of Portuguese football.”

Felix’s move to Benfica

Mendes also discussed Joao Felix, who is currently with Al Nassr, and said the forward had not been regarded as the outstanding player at Porto before his move to Benfica.

“Joao Felix, for example, when he was at Porto, was a player…” Mendes said. “Most of the players I have helped transfer over the years – and when I say most, I mean it literally, perhaps more than 80% – were not the most prominent players at their clubs. Joao Felix is an example of that.”

Felix was at Porto while Benfica showed interest in his brother and signed him. Mendes said the family situation helped lead to Joao Felix joining Benfica.

“His father was naturally concerned, because Joao was at Porto while his brother had moved to Benfica,” Mendes said. “So the club signed Joao Felix almost as a favour.”

Mendes also praised Barcelona’s approach to developing young players, pointing to the club’s regular promotion of talent from its reserve team.

“Every year, the club brings through one, two or three players from the reserve team,” he said. “When we talk about Barcelona, we are talking about one of the best clubs in the world. We can see the players currently appearing for the first team, many of whom came through the club’s academy.”

He warned that football continues to lose potential stars because they are not given suitable opportunities.

“There is a great deal of talent being lost because the talent is already there,” Mendes said. “We can find highly talented players in the third division, just as we can find highly talented players in the second division. The problem is that they often cannot find someone willing to give them a chance.”