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City Transfer Target Evaluation — Part 2 (Left-Back)

By Taras Tataryn

Mendy has really made a name for himself following some great Champions League performances. One performance in particular comes to mind...
Mendy has really made a name for himself following some great Champions League performances. One performance in particular comes to mind... /
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Benjamin Mendy: AS Monaco (French international)

Rating: 8.7/10

Likelihood: 3.7/5

PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 29: Benjamin Mendy of AS Monaco celebrates after the French League 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco at Parc des Princes on January 29, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 29: Benjamin Mendy of AS Monaco celebrates after the French League 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco at Parc des Princes on January 29, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images) /

Rating Evaluation:

We all know what he is capable of. Yes, the defensive side of his game needs some help, but that surely can improve over time, especially with more able-bodied defenders surrounding him. At the moment I’m most excited to see Mendy come to City, but who actually knows if Monaco is selling? After all, we’ve been linked with basically their entire roster….

Overall, I think Mendy could potentially be one of the top left-backs in Europe if he is developed properly. He’s got the stature, the pace, and the technical ability to be a world-class full-back.

Likelihood: 

This one is a tough one. Given enough money, I’m sure Monaco would be willing to sell at least one of their players. However, is a young star like Mendy or Mbappe going to be let loose by a team that recently got so good? I can see Monaco selling Falcao since he is such a heavy burden on their budget (the most highly paid player on the team). However, I am not so sure about the rest of the team.

Anywho, something I heard about Monaco’s fan-base recently might have changed my mind a bit. The city of Monaco holds about 37,000 people… for a comparison see the city of Paris. It holds roughly 2 million people. It is no wonder Monaco has had trouble with attendance (peep this article from CNN). Among other issues, they have one of the smallest stadiums in the French top flight, yet the team still has some of the highest ticket prices. That is not a conducive environment for new fans.

Keeping this in mind, I see the Mendy transfer much more likely than if he were playing for a bigger team.

Strengths: 

  • Can whip in deadly crosses
  • Pace
  • Strength
  • Aerial ability
  • Dribbling

Weaknesses

  • Positioning and defensive mind (can get caught forward often — e.g. against City)