According to latest reports, AS Monaco’s ace full-back Benjamin Mendy could be the next player to follow his teammate, Bernardo Silva to Manchester City. The French international has apparently expressed his desire to leave to the club officials with Etihad the most likely destination.
Manchester City had wasted no time in securing the services of their priority targets as soon as the season ended. And it is pretty normal considering how Pep Guardiola usually goes about things. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager had surprised everyone when he settled for a short transfer arrivals worth 213,00 million euros and inherited a squad largely picked up by his predecessors.
However, reality hit him hard as he went trophy-less for the first time in his managerial career and he now looks desperate to make amends for it. City have already brought in Monaco’s Silva for a whopping £43 million and Mendy is likely to cost somewhere in that region.
The defence has been a huge concern for City last season with the back line letting in 39 goals in 38 league games. The aged players looked incapable of adapting to Guardiola’s style of play and they were released by the club as soon as the season ended. City would need potential back-ups to fill the void, and Mendy’s displays last season definitely make him an exciting prospect in the left-back role.
Since his move from Monaco to Marseille last summer, the 22-year-old has been the side’s first choice, playing a significant role in the side’s title win. He has also managed 11 assists and a goal in all competitions for Monaco. However, it is the age that attracts Guardiola the most. The Spaniard has always preferred youngsters over established stars, who can fit into his free-flowing style of play seamlessly.
There have also been reports of Monaco’s Djibril Sidibe being a top defensive target for Guardiola, making the newly-crowned Ligue 1 Champion his favourite raiding ground. However, as has often been the case with City, these starlets are highly unproven prospects and more essentially a one season wonder at the moment.
City’s buy of John Stones was a similar move taken in haste and the huge cash splurged then hasn’t seemed well invested yet. City will, however, have to compete with numerous European giants to land Mendy, which include the likes of Liverpool and Serie A champions Juventus. With FIFA World Cup 2018 next year, Mendy will have to choose his next destination wisely given the huge competition the French squad has at the moment.
