Guardiola continues to splash the cash as Mendy signs City deal
MANCHESTER City have taken their summer spending past the £200million mark with the signing of Monaco defender Benjamin Mendy.
The left-back, who will reportedly cost the club an initial £49.4m, is the fourth defensive reinforcement brought in by Pep Guardiola, who signed Real Madrid’s Danilo yesterday for an estimated £26.9m.
Tottenham’s Kyle Walker (£45m) and goalkeeper Ederson (£35m) are the other players to join a new-look backline with Mendy’s Monaco team-mate Bernardo Silva a £43.6m signing to bolster midfield.
Mendy has signed a five-year contract and will now join up with his new team-mates in the United States, where Guardiola and his squad are preparing for their second pre-season tour game against Real Madrid in Los Angeles.
HUDDERSFIELD defender Christopher Schindler has committed his future to the club until at least 2020.
The German centre-half, who scored the winning penalty in last season’s play-off final against Reading, has signed a three-year deal, with the Terriers retaining an option over an additional year.
Schindler, who started all but three of Huddersfield’s 49 league matches after joining for a then club record fee last summer, joins Chris Lowe, Elias Kachunga, Jonathan Hogg, Tommy Smith and Rajiv van La Parra in re-signing with the club.
Head coach David Wagner told htafc.com: “When Christopher Schindler joined the club, I always said I was comfortable to break the transfer record to bring him in and I think he totally proved his worth last season.
“Christopher was one of our stand-out players last year; he adapted really well to English football and has developed during the year he’s been with us.
“He is a very strong character, who leads the group both on and off the pitch and he’s responsible not only for himself but the team and the football club as well. Everyone could see at Wembley how strong he is as a person, when he stepped up and scored the winning penalty; it’s great to have a person like him in our dressing room.” SOUTHAMPTON defender Virgil van Dijk has been left out of the squad travelling to France for a training camp. Manager Mauricio Pellegrino said last week the Dutchman would not be involved in the trip after the centre-back - subject of aborted interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool earlier in the summer - told him he wanted to leave the club.
Van Dijk has been banished to train on his own and when Southampton published the 25-man travelling party his name was not on the list.
Saints are heading to Evianles-Bains for a training camp and a game against St Etienne on Saturday.
“He is not involved with the team because psychologically he is not 100 per cent. If you are not 100 per cent with the team I need to work with the players who are 1,000 per cent to defend Southampton,” Pellegrino said last week.
“I hope that Virgil can review his feelings because you know that today a player is big business.”
Van Dijk had been targeted by Liverpool but they were forced into an embarrassing climbdown after claims emerged the defender had agreed to join them as the club had not even registered a bid, leading to an apology and public withdrawal of their interest after a complaint was made to the Premier League.
However, the Reds have tried hard to restore their relationship with Saints and Press Association Sport understands they would be interested in re-igniting their interest should they be given any indication the player is available, although Saints remain steadfast in their assertion he is not for sale.