Man City to make €60m move for Mendy

Stuart Telford

• 12 Jan 2023 07:56 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester City are in the market for a new left-back and have targeted Real Madrid's France international Ferland Mendy.

City are looking to bolster their squad this winter with Arsenal leading them by five points in the Premier League, and left-back has become something of a problem position.

Joao Cancelo remains a top full-back, but he is a right-footer playing on the left. Nathan Aké can also do a job out there, but he would rather line up at centre-back.

READ: Real Madrid 'uncertain' over Mendy future

With Oleksandr Zinchenko joining Arsenal for €35m in the summer, and - much to City fans' chagrin - shining for the Gunners, the need to strengthen in the position is obvious.

Mendy targeted

According to reports in Spain, City are willing to fork out for Mendy.

"Rumours about his departure are constant," report Fichajes. "And three teams - Manchester City, Juventus and Inter Milan - would offer close to €60 million to acquire the Frenchman."

"Mendy's demands for a renewal are also beyond anything Real could imagine paying, and his future now seems more likely to lie beyond the Santiago Bernabeu."

READ: Real Madrid wages: How much does each player earn?

Mendy still has two years to run on his existing deal, but the fact players like Eden Hazard and Antonio Rudiger earn more than him might rankle.

Mendy joined Real from Lyon for €48m in the summer of 2019, when Zinedine Zidane was still manager at the Bernabeu.

He remains the club's first-choice left-back, and has racked up 125 appearances and a La Liga and Champions League double since.

An impressive defender, his critics nonetheless point to the fact that he only has five goals and 10 assists in his three-and-a-half seasons since arriving in the Spanish capital.

Mendy, who is capped nine times for his country, was also overlooked by Didier Deschamps for France's unsuccessful World Cup defence in Qatar, with Hernandez brothers Theo and Lucas getting the nod.