Agent Jorge Mendes Gestifute firm has vehemently denied accusations of blackmail made by Sporting CP president Bruno de Carvalho over a proposed move for Rui Patricio.
The goalkeeper has been linked with a switch to Napoli or Championship winners Wolves, and the Portugal international has asked to cancel his Sporting contract, according to a report by Record.
Patricio is said to want to leave Sporting following an attack on the club s training ground by supporters this month, after the team missed out on Champions League qualification.
The goalkeeper is reportedly also unhappy with De Carvalho s leadership, having seen coach Jorge Jesus had been fired in the build-up to the Taca de Portugal final, which Sporting surprisingly lost 2-1 to Desportivo das Aves.
De Carvalho suggested Mendes has forced through a move for Patricio, and demanded a cut of the deal and €4million from the transfer of Adrien Silva to Leicester City in January.
Patricio s Sporting future appears in great doubt, but De Carvalho hit out at Mendes and Gestifute over their conduct regarding the deal, although the agency has denied all wrongdoing and instead laid the blame at the door of the Primeira Liga side.
I want to tell you that Sporting were negotiating with Jorge Mendes, who said that there was a proposal from Napoli, but in the meantime the change of coach at the club [Carlo Ancelotti replacing Maurizio Sarri] ended up cooling that interest, then appeared Wolves, De Carvalho told the media.
Jorge Mendes right-hand man called us at 11 at night and asked what was Sporting s position. Of the €18m, Jorge Mendes wanted €7m and we said no. Jorge Mendes wanted to take advantage of the situation, which is a crime.
When we did the renewals of Adrien [Silva] and Rui, we finished the old contracts and made new ones, the old ones, made by Godinho Lopes, said that both the player and Jorge Mendes had a percentage of the registration. With the new contracts, the percentages of the company Gestifute are annulled.
Gestifute told us that they wanted €3million from Rui Patricio s business and another €4million from Adrien or we had no business.
