Mendy, Real Madrid’s best option to raise cash this summer
So far this summer, four players have left Real Madrid without the club being able to recover any kind of transfer fee. The French full-back, who is under contract until 2025, could be sold to raise cash.
Real Madrid’s outgoings exceed their income in the current transfer window. So far, the club has splashed out 103 million euros for Jude Bellingham, five million for Fran García and 500,000 euros for Joselu (on loan) - a total of 108.5 million euros, while Benzema, Asensio, Mariano and Hazard all left without the club being able to pick up a fee. The general consensus in the Bernabéu back offices is that the squad is closed for the new season. The club has completed all of its transfer dealings and there will be no more new arrivals unless there is an unforeseen setback during the pre-season - or an interesting, or future target (such as Arda Güler?) suddenly comes on the market.
The big target, Bellingham, is already on board. However, there is still a possibility that someone could leave. One player who Madrid could cash in on is Férland Mendy.
Last summer, the club appeared willing to listen to offers for the French defender - strictly serious offers, figures close to the 48 million euros that they paid Olympique Lyon for the player in 2019. No such offers came in and the current outlook is even less rosy for the 28-year-old left-back. A season plagued by physical problems and with Camavinga comfortably slotting into his role when necessary left Ferland as the third choice (he finished with a total of 2,064 minutes of playing time). Now he has Fran García to compete with - and possibly, in the not too distant future, Alphonso Davies as well (as AS reports, he’s a target for 2024). Mendy is under contract until 2025 so if Madrid are serious about making a profit on him or at least recovering some of the money they paid for him, the best plan would be to sell him this summer. Leaving it for another year would see the player’s market value depreciate even further...
Selling Mendy is Madrid’s best chance to generate income this summer. They could command a higher fee for the Frenchman than for Vallejo or Odriozola. The centre-back has received offers but would prefer to stay on for another season. Vallejo’s contract expires in 2025 but his market value, according to Transfermarkt, is just 2 million euros - a drop in the ocean for Madrid.
Odriozola’s case is similar - his sale would bring in five million euros. Mendy’s market value meanwhile has halved from the 50 million euros to 25 million euros in two years. The club is hopeful that a more attractive proposal will arrive. During the past couple of decades, Real Madrid have generally boosted their coffers with at least one summer sale - the exception was 2001-02 when Zidane joined from Juventus. They reaped economic benefits from high-profile transfers of a number of players in recent years - Casemiro, Varane, Ødegaard, Achraf, Reguilón and Kovacic. This summer, only Mendy, Odriozola and Vallejo can be sold to bolster the transfer kitty.