Real Madrid closing in on deal for Lyon’s Ferland Mendy
Real Madrid are nearing a deal for one of Europe’s finest left backs…
The Zinedine Zidane 2.0 era at Real Madrid is off to a promising start. After completing deals for centre back Eder Militao from FC Porto, striker Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt and all-world winger Eden Hazard from Chelsea, their latest transaction with French side Lyon for left back Ferland Mendy pending a second physical, as reported by The Daily Mail, in the range of 50 million euros, may turn out to be some of the wisest money Los Blancos spend this summer.
The 24-year old French product will enter La Liga at a time when full-backs, particularly full-backs that can get forward in threatening fashion, are valued at a premium (See Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson for Liverpool). While he may not be displacing a fixture like Marcelo at Madrid from day one, he gives Zizou a natural successor to the Brazilian that helped lead the club to three-consecutive Champions League titles.
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Mendy’s seamless ability to play out of pressure in his own end (with either foot mind you) and then to turn on the jets, flipping the script on opposing defenders and challenging goal has catapulted the once PSG youth player to the top of many sporting directors radars. He’s got vision, he’s got pace and all the makings to be one of the finest two-way defenders in the world.
It is true that his potential departure from Ligue 1 to the Bernabéu and Spain’s top flight will be a step up in class for Mendy, but one can’t help envision him becoming a more refined and complete player going up against competition in training that will include the likes of Hazard, Jovic, Vinícius Júnior, Karim Benzema, Mariano Díaz and potentially Isco and Marco Asensio if they are to stay around at the club after the summer.
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While the signings of Hazard and Jovic may have gotten the biggest headlines so far this summer, Mendy’s arrival at Madrid may prove to be one of the most pivotal building blocks of Zidane’s second reign with the club in the Spanish capital. Time will tell.