Mensah signs extension with Crew
Multi-year deal secures cornerstone of defense
The Crew has its captain and the cornerstone of its defense in place for the foreseeable future.
Defender Jonathan Mensah has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the Crew, the club announced Thursday morning. Mensah has started every game in 2020, his first season as captain, and has made 95 appearances (92 starts) since joining the Crew in 2017.
He began his tenure with the Crew as an inconsistent defender with plenty of upside and international experience. In three years, he has consistently improved and is now a reliable presence on the back line and in the locker room.
"It feels great to be wanted by the club for my services for a couple of years to come," Mensah said. "I'm thankful they had confidence in me from day one and they still do have confidence in me. I'm very thankful and I'm blessed to be able to continue the adventure with the group."
Mensah, 30, has been recognized as one of the top center backs in Major League Soccer and has led the Crew in allowing the fewest goals (15) of any team in MLS through 18 games this season.
Per club rules, the Crew did not
disclose details of the contract. MLS does not prevent teams from disclosing contract terms.
Mensah did not say how many years he is now under contract with the Crew.
In 2019, according to the MLS Players Association salary database, Mensah
earned a base salary of $800,000, making him the ninth-highest-paid defender in MLS.
“In addition to having a ‘Defender of the Year' award-worthy season in 2020 and consistently being one of the top defenders in MLS, Jonathan is someone who leads by example and serves as a role model to the younger players," Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement.
Mensah has been praised by his teammates for being a leader who commands attention when he speaks to the group and also shows leadership through his individual play. The Ghanaian international has steadily improved since being acquired for the 2017 season, which eventually led to coach Caleb Porter awarding him the captaincy prior to the 2020 season.
“It's always important to secure top players for your club, especially guys that have proven they're top players around the league," Porter said. "He's great to work with, an unbelievable guy and a great captain."
Mensah has played 8,287 minutes in four seasons with the Crew and is one of only a few players in MLS who has played every minute this season. He has completed 1,022 passes in 2020, more than any other player in MLS. Mensah is also the league leader with 21 blocks and 89 clearances. He is tied for second in the league with 48 headed clearances.
The Crew has locked up its starting center back duo for at least the next couple of years. Before the season, the Crew signed Dutch defender Vito Wormgoor on a free transfer.
He has been out since early July when he injured an ankle against FC Cincinnati and underwent season-ending surgery. jmyers@dispatch.com
@_ jcmyers