Burnley manager Scott Parker has moved to temper excitement surrounding the signing of Ronaldinho’s son, saying Joao Mendes is a ‘project’ to be developed.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Championship clash with Cardiff, Clarets boss Parker – who succeeded Bayern Munich-bound Vincent Kompany at the Turf Moor helm this season – admitted the paperwork was close to being finalised.
🟣🇧🇷 Ronaldinho’s son João Mendes has signed in as new Burnley player. pic.twitter.com/NV5Uqpq1ib
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 14, 2024
The former Fulham and Bournemouth manager says he understands the hype about the winger due to his iconic father, but warned fans the teenager won’t be going straight into the first team.
Mendes left Barcelona this summer after earning a 12-month contract with the club’s under-19s during a trial, having come through the academy at Cruzeiro in Brazil. He did not make a first team appearance.
Ronaldinho scored 70 goals in 145 games across a five-year spell at the Camp Nou, during which Mendes was born back in Sao Paulo in February 2005.
Parker watched from the Chelsea bench as Ronaldinho scored twice in a virtuoso display in an epic Champions League last-16 encounter at Stamford Bridge less than two weeks later as the Blues overturned a first-leg deficit to progress 5-4 on aggregate.
The 19-year-old Mendes is expected to pen a two-year deal at Turf Moor but Parker insisted: “This is a player we see as a development player and a project in that sense.
“As of right now the paperwork has not been signed but there is definitely something in it for sure.
“I get the excitement around it but I think it would be unfair to heap a huge amount of pressure on a young boy coming here.
“He knows why he is coming here in terms of development so I wouldn’t want to heap more pressure than that which is already on him.”
