Thursday 13 July 2017 17:06, UK
Manchester City are close to finalising a deal for Benjamin Mendy, according to Sky sources. What will the Monaco left-back bring to the Etihad Stadium? We asked WhoScored.com.
Pep Guardiola was reportedly stunned by Dani Alves' decision to join Paris Saint-Germain over Manchester City this week. The former Barcelona manager seemed to have secured a reunion with the Brazilian as he stepped up his search for full-back reinforcements, only to see him join the Ligue 1 side.
Guardiola looks set to ease his frustration by pulling off a deal to sign Kyle Walker now that City have agreed a £50m fee with Tottenham, and on the opposite flank, he will be eager to ensure Monaco's Benjamin Mendy does not slip through his grasp like Alves.
Earlier this week, the France international posted a picture of himself on holiday sporting a fetching pair of Union Jack shorts with the caption: "See you soon". It was as big a hint as any player could give, and it now appears City are getting closer to securing his signature.
Given the underwhelming performances of Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy at left-back last season, with the club even opting against renewing the latter's deal at the Etihad Stadium, a new player in the position is of the utmost importance for Guardiola.
Mendy seems an ideal fit. The 22-year-old enjoyed a fine debut campaign at the Stade Louis II following his arrival from Marseille last summer, earning a WhoScored.com rating of 7.25 in France's top tier as he played a key role in Monaco's first title win since 2000.
He gallops up the field with ease to help provide an attacking outlet, which is a perfect fit for a City side in which the full-backs are required to push on. Indeed, City bore witness to his immense offensive power when Mendy produced a man-of-the-match display in Monaco's 3-1 Champions League win over their Premier League counterparts in France in March.
The left-back provided the assist for Fabinho's goal on the half-hour mark and turned in a match-high five tackles, exhibiting both his attacking influence and defensive responsibility. Mendy boasts the necessary athleticism required for the modern day full-back to help put opponents to the sword, while he is also quick enough to recover if his team are caught short at the back.
He has made huge strides in his development since his arrival from Marseille and is widely considered one of the hottest full-back talents around. Reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'crossing', Mendy has made more accurate crosses from open play (75) than any defender in Ligue 1 since the starting of the 2015/16 season.
That's good news for a City side who have developed a strength of 'attacking down the wings' on WhoScored.com. With the onus on the wingers to cut infield, thus opening up space for the full-backs, it's this style that would suit a player of Mendy's ilk.
It helped him register eight assists in both league and European competition last season, and his determination to get forward allowed his team to rapidly transition from defence to attack. Only Chelsea (seven) scored more counter-attacking goals than City (six) in the Premier League last term, so it's wholly possible that number would rise with Mendy in the team.
There are weaknesses to Mendy's game, but at his age, they can be ironed out. If City do clinch the signing of Walker as well, Guardiola will have at his disposal two full-backs ready and willing to put on the afterburners, so defensive discipline would need to be instilled.
It's a minor fault which is outweighed by the positives in his game. As the deal edges closer to completion, City are set to land an already accomplished left-back with room to improve. Guardiola is unlikely to let him get away like Alves, and City will be all the better for his arrival.
