REAL MADRID
Alphonso Davies’ arrival could signal the end for Ferland Mendy at Madrid
Ancelotti has been a huge admirer of Mendy, who could now be the ‘collateral damage’ if Alphonso Davies arrives at the club.
Once the agreement between Real Madrid and Alphonse Davies to wear the white shirt in 2025 has been confirmed, the first step forward for the club will be the difficult situation in which Ferland Mendy will find himself. The French full-back, who has been widely praised by Ancelotti in recent times, has been a source of controversy in the Bernabéu offices.
Although he is very much to the liking of the coaching staff, there are voices within the board of directors who speak of the need to try to make money with his potential sale. Mendy, like Davies, is out of contract in 2025: this summer will be Real Madrid’s last chance to sell him.
Ancelotti: “For me, Mendy is the best defensive full-back in the world”
Alphonse Davies was an express request from Ancelotti, who was well aware of the Canadian’s contractual situation and his footballing value. But for the coaching staff, Mendy is also of vital importance, who would be the ideal complement to the new arrival. “He is the best defensive full-back there is in football,” the Italian said of Mendy a month ago. “In attack he is also improving,” he added.
But, then he upped the ante in the run-up to the match against Sevilla: “For me, he is the best full-back in the world. He copes really well defending two against one. Mendy has it all. He’s really good at defending when he’s at a numerical disadvantage,” said Ancelotti about Mendy, who he sees as the perfect player to defend on the left side.
Could Fran García leave Real Madrid?
The third player in the debate is Fran García who, for Madrid, has been a profitable operation. Aftershowing himself to be one of the top defenders in LaLiga last season, the club bought him back from Rayo Vallecano, who had bought him for €2 million ($2.2m). Los Blancos still owned 50% of his rights, and to buy him back they only had to pay €5 million ($5.4m). Given his age and potential, he is an ideal player to have in reserve, and one that Ancelotti has not been able to maximise the potential of just yet.
Ancelotti has resorted to other solutions at left-back in the absence of his first choice starters, even if Fran García has been available. He is down in 18th in terms of minutes played (1,298 across 24 games, even having played the first six as a starter due to an injury to Mendy).
However, it is Ferland Mendy who looks more likely to leave as the arrival of Davies takes away his role as a starter in the team. The Frenchman is in a perfect situation and at the right age (28) to sign his last big contract as a professional. Given this situation, he has no shortage of suitors.
There are several Premier League teams that have asked about his situation. As for Real Madrid, it is the last chance to bank some money in terms of big sales. Mendy was signed in 2019 from Lyon for €48 million ($52m) plus €5m ($5.4m) in variables, a very similar number to what he could be sold for to the Premier League.