MANCHESTER CITY are reportedly close to beating Liverpool to the
signing of Monaco star Benjamin Mendy.
The 22-year-old
full-back is in high demand following his stunning form with Monaco last
season.
The France
international was key to their Ligue 1 title success and has been linked with
several top clubs for a number of months.
sources close to the player have made it clear
that he has chosen to join City this summer over Liverpool.
It is said that no
contracts have been signed as of yet but the deal is expected to be formalised
in the coming days.
Mendy’s expected move
to the Etihad is another stunning transfer marker laid down by Pep Guardiola.
The City boss has
already completed deals for Benfica goalkeeper Ederson and Mendy's now
ex-Monaco team-mate Bernardo Silva.
That pair cost £78m
and Sky
Sports claim Mendy will push
their summer spending to around £120m.
That means he’ll cost
over £42m, making him one of the most expensive defenders ever, only behind
David Luiz and John Stones.
City chairman Khaldoon
Al-Mubarak recently insisted that his club must be challenging to win the
Premier League title next season.
Guardiola’s side
finished third last term after their disappointing campaign and Al-Mubarak has
demanded better as he continues to splash the cash.
He said: "There's
nothing that annoys me more than people either calling me or sending me a
message congratulating me on third place.
"My answer was
pretty standard to everyone, 'don't congratulate me on getting third, there's
nothing to congratulate, only congratulate me if we win the league'.
"So, this is not
the ambition, not at all. There's nothing to celebrate. I think it's something
which is important, it's critical, and I know it requires a lot of hard work,
particularly in this league, to be in the top four.
"But our ambition
is to win the league. And if not winning it, to go as close as physically
possible to winning the league. I think this year, in that area, we didn't do
that."
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