Football General Manager
- Mendy determined to stay and fight for left-back spot
- 30-year-old will face competition from Carreras and Garcia
- Frenchman under contract at Real Madrid until 2028
According to Marca the French full-back is not looking for any move away from the Santiago Bernabeu this summer and is prepared to fight for his place in the club’s starting XI under new manager Xabi Alonso. The 30-year-old underwent surgery in April to repair a rupture in his right quadriceps and hasn’t featured since the Copa del Rey final that month.
Mendy joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2019 for an initial €48 million (£41m/$52m) and last year extended his contract until 2027. However, the Frenchman has struggled with injuries since then. The 30-year-old started just 12 La Liga games last season and scored only one goal. With Madrid completing a €50m (£43m/$58m) transfer for Carreras, Mendy is expected to go down the manager’s pecking order.
The French defender is also expected to face tough competition from Fran Garcia, who made quite an impression at the Club World Cup. The 25-year-old played every minute of the tournament until their defeat to PSG in the semi-finals.
Madrid’s disappointing 2024-25 campaign saw them finish without a major trophy despite Kylian Mbappe’s blockbuster arrival. They were knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals and finished behind arch-rivals Barcelona in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. With Alonso now in charge, the emphasis is on squad depth and competition across every position, including left-back.
Mendy, who is currently on vacation, is set to return to the Bernabeu on August 4 as Real Madrid begin their pre-season training. Notably, this will be the first time in many years that Los Blancos will not play any pre-season matches before the start of La Liga. Their opening fixture will be against Osasuna at home on August 19.