Mendy chasing millions of pounds of back pay from Manchester City
The former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy is chasing millions of pounds of back pay from the club and is selling his house in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy, the high court has been told.
HM Revenue and Customs is seeking a bankruptcy order against the France international over a tax debt of nearly £800,000, a specialist judge was told. The hearing in London on Wednesday came less than a month after the 29-year-old Mendy was cleared of rape and attempted rape at Chester crown court.
Jacquille Jarrett, representing HMRC, said proceedings at the insolvency and companies court had been postponed previously pending the outcome of the criminal trial and for a settlement of Mendy’s debt from backdated salary or the sale of his property.
“There has been no contact from the debtor,” Jarrett said, adding: “The agreement advises that an update would be given to HMRC but no contact was made. We look to secure a bankruptcy order today.”
Mendy’s accountant, who refused to give reporters his full name, told the hearing the now Lorient defender “was found not guilty in respect of those very serious criminal charges against him”.
He said Manchester City had not paid Mendy, who was not present at the hearing on Wednesday, since September 2021. The accountant said Mendy’s agent was “in negotiations with Manchester City to get the back pay on the basis that he has been found not guilty”. The sum is “in the order of £9m-£10m gross”, the accountant told the court.
He also said Mendy’s house in Cheshire was being marketed by the estate agent Savills for £5m.
“He himself has moved back to France where he comes from,” the accountant said. “I would like to ask for a short extension because I am told very firmly by his agent that the pay issue will be resolved from Manchester City. He was very short of money indeed, the cost of the legal case were over £1m.”
Mendy left City in June at the expiration of his contract, having not played for them since August 2021. He has signed a two-year deal with Lorient.
Judge Clive Jones told the hearing on Wednesday that Mendy’s HMRC debt was £788,409. Criticising Mendy, the judge said: “I’m very unimpressed at the lack of information that’s been provided both to HMRC and to the court prior to this hearing. That, I really think, is the wrong step for him to take,” he said, adding that Mendy must attend any further hearing or be legally represented.
The judge adjourned the bankruptcy proceedings to 11am on 4 October to allow Mendy to sell his house. He said he had been told there was “more than sufficient equity in a house”, adding that “time should be given to enable payment to be made”.
“I also bear in mind that there are also negotiations in place about the backdated pay,” the judge said, adding that Mendy could be being paid “a large sum in wages” in France.
Last month jurors found the fullback not guilty of a charge of rape and one of attempted rape, after a three-week trial at Chester crown court. Mendy had been on trial for a second time, the jury failing to reach verdicts on the allegations made by two women.
In his first trial, lasting six months and ending in January, he was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to four other young women or teenagers.