The season hasn’t finished yet, but transfer rumours are already beginning to do the rounds. According to Sky Sports, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are all interested in Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy. The Ligue 1 club have been one of the best clubs to watch this season and they are at risk of losing their best players as a result. Mendy is an exciting full back and one that has already impressed against English opposition, putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the second leg of Monaco’s Champions League tie against City. It was a swashbuckling attacking display, getting an assist in the process. There are few good full-backs in the modern game, and at the age of 22, the Frenchman has huge potential. It is easy to see why he is attracting interest from leading Premier League clubs.
Although Monaco are best known for their attacking style of play, Mendy is an ever-improving defender. Throughout this season, he has averaged 3.8 ball recoveries and 2.6 clearances per match. These are good figures and highlight how he is more than just an attacking force. One part of his game that will be a concern is his aggressive tackling at times as he can commit too many fouls. His average of 1.3 fouls per game in Ligue 1, coupled with his total of six yellows and one red underline this.
It is in the attacking half that Mendy is at his best. He has contributed five assists in Ligue 1, but it is in the Champions League where he has played his most impressive football. It shows his big-game personality and that is another reason why he is being targeted by bigger clubs. To date, he has three assists in five Champions League matches. He is a powerful runner who is excellent at getting to the byline and delivering pull-backs to find onrushing attacking players. This was how he got the assist in the match against Manchester City and he has regularly attempted such a move this season.
The French international has averaged 1.05 chances created and 0.8 key passes per ninety minutes in the league. These are impressive figures for a left back, while his average of 1.6 dribbles per game show the running ability that he possesses. At times, he can be direct and carry the ball for long distances, but his movement when he doesn’t have the ball is also impressive. He is able to overlap and drift into central areas to contribute to an attack.
From the three teams mentioned, Manchester City could be the most appealing for the left back. Although they lost to Monaco in the Champions League this season, they are a team headed in the right direction under Pep Guardiola. Their main weakness is at full-back, therefore Mendy would walk straight into the team and he has the intelligence to carry out the role that Guardiola wants his full-backs to play. It would be an appealing move for him as he would be working under one of the best coaches in world football. The Spaniard could take his game to the next level and help him become one of the leading full-backs in world football.
