What Would Mendy Bring?

Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United are all interested in signing emerging Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy, according to Sky sources, but what would the Frenchman offer?

Both City and United are believed to be targeting a new left-back this summer with doubts surrounding Gael Clichy, whose contract expires at the end of June, and Luke Shaw respectively.

And, despite his impressive debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte may also decide to bring in competition for current left wing-back Marcos Alonso next season.

Mendy is enjoying an excellent first season at the Stade Louis II, resulting in a first-ever call-up to the France national team, but would he flourish in the Premier League and what would he bring?

Mendy began his career in France with Le Harve, making his debut for the club in August 2011 before joining Ligue 1 powerhouses Marseille two seasons later.

However, after a difficult first campaign in the south of France, it was the arrival of experienced coach Marcelo Bielsa that saw Mendy begin to mature and blossom as a full-back

Despite only being in charge at the Stade Velodrome for just over a year, the Argentine still taught his young charge about the importance of striking a balance between defence and attack and to mix up his raids down the left wing, as well as improving the positional side to his game.

"He knows he will become a truly great player. He knows he will become a star," an impressed Bielsa said of Mendy in 2014.

His star rose enough last summer to earn him a £13m move to AS Monaco, where the 22-year-old has continued to develop this season as part of Leonardo Jardim's exciting young team.

Anyone who has watched Monaco in action this season, either in Ligue 1 or the Champions League, will have noted the presence of their attack-minded full back.

The France international's lung-busting runs down the left flank have been a characteristic of Monaco's run to both the top of Ligue 1 and the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition.

So much so that scouts from many of the continent's biggest clubs, including City, United and Chelsea, are understood to have been running their eye over Mendy in recent weeks.

City boss Pep Guardiola, though, will need no telling of Mendy's abilities having watched him play an integral role in Monaco's away-goals victory over his side in the last 16 of the Champions League, including creating Fabinho's goal in their second-leg win.

And Mendy also produced two eye-catching displays as Monaco beat Tottenham Hotspur in both group games of this season's Champions League.

The left back has already contributed more assists across league and Champions League (eight) than any other defender in Europe so far this season, including the likes of both Real Madrid's Marcelo and Bayern Munich's David Alaba.

He also has the most assists of any defender in the Champions League (three), with a 77 per cent pass completion rate and 29 key passes in Ligue 1 and Europe combined.

Despite having improved defensively, though, Mendy still needs to tighten this aspect of his game which could yet cause Guardiola, Conte and United manager Jose Mourinho to ponder making a move for the youngster.

Equally, however, the trio may be swayed by the fact France manager Didier Deschamps handed the defender, who has represented Les Bleus at every youth level, his senior bow in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in March.

And with the full back standing at 6ft 2in, his physicality and height would be an added bonus were he to move to the Premier League.

In total this campaign, Mendy has contributed 10 assists and scored one goal in 33 matches in all competitions both home and abroad.

Meanwhile, in his six years in French football, the powerful left-back has 28 assists and four goals to his name in total, again underlying the attacking dimension to his game.

But Mendy is also currently part of a Monaco back line that has let in just 26 goals in 31 Ligue 1 matches this season.

Mendy is contracted to Monaco until the end of June 2021, meaning his employers could demand as much as £30m for their player this summer, according to some reports.

Credit: Skysports.com