Mikel Arteta isn’t short of left-backs with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Jakub Kiwior at his disposal, but Kealan Hughes of The Sun says Arsenal may be on the hunt for another this summer – Ferland Mendy.
The 27-year-old joined Real Madrid from Olympique Lyonnais in 2019 and has gone on to make 130 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals with 10 assists.
Mendy’s deal at the Santiago Bernabeu is up in 2025, but his future is uncertain at he’s been short of playing time this season. The French international has made 25 appearances across the board, but he’s only featured in 15 of Real’s 27 league games after spending the last three months sidelined with injury.
Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba and Nacho have deputised for the 27-year-old, but Los Blancos may be signing a tried and tested alternative in the form of Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Real Vallecano’s Fran Garcia among others.
Mendy could be allowed to leave as a result and Arsenal may be positioning themselves to sign him. The Sun cites a report from Fichajes that says the Gunners will have to pay up to €60m (£52.5m) for his signature, however, which is a lofty price, so time will tell if a deal gets over the line.
Tierney may have uncertain future
Tierney has 29 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season, scoring one goal with two assists, but he’s started only four league games. The Scottish international, who joined from Celtic in 2019, has spent the second half of the campaign on the bench, so Arteta might be seeking a replacement for him.
Zinchenko, who worked with Arteta at Man City, has been a regular at left-back, featuring in every league game since November, so he’s unlikely to relinquish his spot. It does all beg the question of why Arteta would sign Mendy for so much money if Zinchenko is first choice.
Tierney has been fit for most of the campaign, so it makes more sense for him to remain a secondary option for the Ukrainian international, rather than pay more than £50m for a backup left-back. Arteta surely wouldn’t sign a third left-back as he has a more fervent need to bolster the midfield and attack.
