Arsenal are reportedly in a battle with Manchester United over a deal to sign Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy this summer, as per the Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The 27-year-old joined Los Blancos back in 2019 from Olympique Lyonnais for a fee of around £47m. After moving to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, the Frenchman has established himself as a key first member, helping his side in winning two league titles and a Champions League trophy over the last few years.
It appears Mendy’s impressive displays for Real Madrid have attracted the attention of several Premier League clubs with Arsenal and Man Utd among those to have registered their interest.
According to the report by Fichajes, despite the Frenchman’s eye-catching performances in recent times, Real Madrid are open to cashing-in on Mendy if they receive an offer of around £53m to raise funds to strengthen their squad for next season.
The report further claims that Arsenal are looking to take advantage of this situation and sign the Frenchman to bolster their left side of defence in the summer.
Battle
However, Fichajes states that securing Mendy’s signature won’t be straightforward for Arsenal as Man Utd have also been looking to sign the fullback at the end of this season.
Mendy is quick, strong, excellent in defence, comfortable playing out from the back and also has an eye for long-range passing. So, he would be a solid acquisition for Arsenal or Man Utd if either club manage to get a deal done.
However, having already got Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Diogo Dalot – who is a right-back by traits but can also play on the opposite flank if needed – in the squad, Man Utd don’t need more investment in that area this summer.
On the other hand, after failing to find regular game time for Arsenal this term, Kieran Tierney has strongly been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium ahead of the summer window.
If Tierney ends up leaving then the Gunners could look to strengthen their left-back position at the end of this season and in that case, Mendy would be an excellent replacement for the Scotland international.
So, Arsenal could be a better destination for Mendy over Man Utd if he were to move away from the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu at the end of this season. However, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal or Man Utd decide to formalise their interest in Mendy if they decide to strengthen their backline during the off-season.
