According to Goal.com, France national team manager Didier Deschamps has confirmed that the French full-back Ferland Mendy is set to join Real Madrid this summer. The 24-year-old left back is currently plying his trade for Lyon and has long been linked with the Galacticos, who are desperate to turn the tide their way next season.
As per the report, the World Cup-winning manager made no attempts to hide the fact that one of the brightest stars of his national team setup will be leaving for the Spanish capital. The former European champions had a disastrous outing in the last term in both the domestic as well as European fronts. They had to face several defeats against even the weakest of oppositions in La Liga as they finished the season on the third position. The defending champions were also knocked out of the Champions League in embarrassing style by Ajax in the round of 16.
Real Madrid’s backline woes
One of the biggest problems for the Galacticos in the last term was the abysmal performance of their backline. The likes of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, Nacho, Jesus Vallejo, Sergio Reguilon and Alvaro Odriozola were unable to keep their side out of harm’s way on many occasions.
The major area of concern has been the left back position, with both Marcelo and Sergio Reguilon not being able to perform according to their potential. They were also bogged down by several injury concerns which called for some evasive action to be taken on an immediate basis.
Why Mendy?
Ferland Mendy has been one of the major stars in the Ligue 1 setup for the last couple of seasons and has proved himself as one of the best players in the left back position. He has been an immediate choice for the French national side as well, fighting for a starting spot against the likes of Lucas Digne, Benjamin Mendy and Lucas Hernandez.
On the other hand, Marcelo has shown signs of his age catching up on him quite a few times in the last term. Reguilon has also been an inconsistent performer for his side and might be sent on loan this summer. This opens up space for a new left back to be brought into the team, and as per the report, Mendy is the man to fill in the void for Real Madrid.
Good fit for Zidane?
Real Madrid gaffer Zinedine Zidane is expected to be well aware of the abilities of his compatriot Mendy and could put them to good use. His arrival would create a healthy competition in the side for the left back position between Mendy and Marcelo, which eventually would strengthen the backline for the next season.
The fact that the player does not have any prior experience of playing in La Liga might hamper his progress initially. However, his meteoric rise from the Ligue 2 side Le Havre to become a regular starter for Lyon in the time span of just two years shows that Mendy has the potential to turn adverse situations in his favour with his consistent performances. So his imminent inclusion could be money well spent for the Galacticos, providing them with a long term solution in the left back position for the future.
