Mendy confident of trophies after completing record move
WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE DEFENDER WANTS TO GO FORWARD AT CITY
onaco full-back Benjamin Mendy has signed a mega five-year contract with Manchester City, the Premier League club announced yesterday.
The 23-year-old, who joined the French champions from Marseille last summer, has agreed a deal reported to be worth a record £52 million (Dh248.8 million) for a defender.
The France player will link up with his new teammates in the United States where Pep Guardiola’s side are preparing for their second pre-season tour game against Real Madrid in Los Angeles.
“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City,” Mendy said. “They are one of Europe’s leading clubs and in Pep Guardiola they have a manager committed to playing attacking football. I am sure that over the next few years we will be successful.”
Guardiola was desperate to add Mendy to his full-back options after releasing Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta this summer, while Aleksandar Kolarov also left for Roma last week, but City’s original £44.5 million ($55.7 million, 49.7 million euros) offer was rejected.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss had already lured Tottenham’s England right-back Kyle Walker to Etihad Stadium in a deal which could be worth up to £54 million ($70.1 million, 60.1 million euros) and Monaco wanted a similar amount for Mendy.
Fifth major signing
Mendy becomes City’s fifth major signing of the summer and takes their spending to more than £200m (223 million euros, $260 million).
The Premier League giants, who have already raided Monaco in the close season having signed midfielder Bernardo Silva, and on Sunday welcomed another full-back, Real Madrid’s Danilo.
Mendy made his France debut in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Luxembourg in March, and won Ligue 1 in his first season with Monaco.
Mendy came through Le Havre’s youth system before a move to Marseille in 2013. The 23-year-old switched to Monaco last summer for £11 million.