Playing for 90
Fansided

Manchester City have a bid rejected for French left-back

By Benjamin Barkworth

TURIN, ITALY - MAY 09: Dani Alves of Juventus and Benjamin Mendy of AS Monaco in action during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Juventus and AS Monaco at Juventus Stadium on May 9, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY - MAY 09: Dani Alves of Juventus and Benjamin Mendy of AS Monaco in action during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Juventus and AS Monaco at Juventus Stadium on May 9, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Citizens have suffered a setback in their attempts to sign Benjamin Mendy from AS Monaco.

According to reports, Man City had a £44.5 million bid rejected for the talented left-back. Monaco believe that he is worth more than Kyle Walker who joined City for £50 million. This is fair because Mendy is four years younger, and certainly has the potential to be a world-class left-back. He formed a strong partnership with Djibril Sidibé which allowed the Principality team to dominate both flanks in Ligue 1 and Champions League games.

Manchester City

The left-back role is an area that the Citizens need to bolster because Aleksandar Kolarov is the only player capable of playing their currently. He performed best out of Manchester City’s full-backs last season, but Pep Guardiola is looking for an upgrade.

Mendy has the energy and quality to provide the width on the left along with Walker on the opposite side. This would enable City to stretch teams and give space for the creative players in the middle of the pitch.

It seems unlikely that the extra money Monaco are asking for is going to stop City. The specific fees of the deal are likely to delay rather than stop the move from happening. Mendy has a bright future ahead of him, and suits the system that Pep is trying to put in place. The Citizens have a plethora of attacking talent, so ensuring they have a stable defensive base is key.

Monaco

After such a great season there were worries that Monaco would be raided by other clubs. This hasn’t been the case, though, because they have kept most of their talent and have received large amounts for the players that have been sold.

More from Manchester City

Mendy is no different because they aim to receive around £50 million for him. If Mendy leaves, he will be their third young talent to leave along with Bernardo Silva and Tiemoué Bakayoko.

They have options to replace Mendy if he does leave, which is likely. Jorge is the obvious replacement due to being back-up last season, and has youth on his side due to being 21-years-old.

Terence Kongolo was signed for £12.75 million from Feyenoord; he can play left-back, but his main position is centre-back. They also have Sidibé who can play on the left. However, his natural role is on the right.

Next: Manchester City sell out of favour winger

Monaco are an excellent model for developing young players and finding replacements when these players move on for large fees. Other clubs should take note of how they approach the market from a buying and selling perspective.

Home/Manchester City