Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has confirmed that his son, Joao Mendes de Assis Moreira, is set to join the club imminently.
Mendes had been a part of the Cruzeiro youth setup since the age of 14, but recently terminated his contract with the Brazilian outfit.
Last month, it had been reported that the young striker had arrived in Barcelona and was undergoing a trial with the club’s Juvenil A setup, with president Joan Laporta himself understood to have been keeping a close eye on the situation.
It now seems that Joao Mendes has successfully completed his trial as Ronaldinho has confirmed in a chat with RAC1 that his son will be joining the club soon.
“I’m never out of the club. Barcelona is part of my life. Wherever I go I take Barcelona with me. With the arrival of my son at Barça I’ll be more present,” the former Brazilian international said, as quoted by MARCA.
“Yes, he is coming now. With his arrival I will be more present than ever,” he added.
Aged 17, Joao Mendes plays as a striker and is left-footed. With the signing now all but confirmed, he will be joining some exciting young talents within the club’s youth ranks such as Lamine Yamal and Angel Alarcon, with the latter even receiving first-team minutes this season.
Given Ronaldinho’s legacy, there will certainly be a great level of expectations riding on the 17-year-old Joao Mendes