Real Madrid in talks over Mendy
Madrid coach Zidane has expressly asked for the Lyon 23-year old left-back and bosses at the Bernabéu are keen to give him what he wants.
Real Madrid continue their work organising their squad for next season and have made their choice over who they want to bolster the left-back position: Ferland Mendy, Lyon’s 23-year old Frenchman. According to AS sources, the defender is an express request from Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, who is not convinced Reguilón is a suitable replacement for Marcelo.
Real Madrid and Lyon negotiating Mendy transfer
Real Madrid are keen to satisfy Zidane’s wishes and have started conversations with both the player and Lyon. So far the two clubs have not hit any stumbling blocks in their negotiations, although the signing will not be cheap: it’s expected to cost Real Madrid around 50 million euros.
Mendy’s arrival would block Reguilón’s path into the first team, with Zidane still including Marcelo in his plans, as this newspaper revealed on 30 March. The idea is for the player who came up through the ranks to go out on loan to gain experience.
Mendy, meanwhile, would come in as a replacement for Marcelo with the plan for an easy transition between the two. Marcelo is now 31 and is finishing his worst season at the Bernabéu, but Zidane is confident he can get back to his best form. The coach’s idea is for the Brazilian to take the starting spot in the line-up next season, with the threat from Mendy pushing him to perform to his best.
Mendy: highly sought after in Europe
If Real Madrid land their man, it’ll be a major coup, with several big names around Europe interested in the player. Last winter Atlético Madrid were looking at him as a replacement for Filipe. However, the economic demands of Lyon priced Atlético out of the bidding. Real Madrid however seem happy to meet Lyon’s demands, given that they consider cover in that area a necessity after the failed signing of Theo Hernández (out on loan to Real Sociedad, with no chance of returning to Real Madrid next season).
Mendy has been one of Lyon’s most important players this season, with the club on course for third place in Ligue 1. He’s played 42 games this season, playing a total of 3,431 minutes, scoring three goals and setting up another three. Only five players have seen more action in Bruno Génésio’s side: Ndombele (3,698 also a Real Madrid target), Aouar (3,729), Marcelo (3,870), Denayer (3,970) and number one keeper Anthony Lopes (4,084).