Benjamin Mendy

Benjamin Mendy is a French professional footballer

Benjamin Mendy ( born 17 July 1994) is a French professional footballer who plays as a left back for Premier League club Manchester City and the French national team.

After coming through Le Havre's youth academy, Mendy began his playing career with the club's reserve side in 2010, eventually being promoted to the first team few seasons later. He remained with the club until 2013, when he joined Ligue 1 side Marseille. Mendy spent the next three seasons with the Les Olympiens before leaving for Monaco, with whom he won the national championship in 2016–17. In the summer of 2017, Mendy moved to the English club Manchester City on a then world-record transfer fee for a defender. He subsequently won the Premier League in his first season in England.

Mendy made his senior debut for France in 2017 after previously being capped by France youth teams at under-21, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 levels. He was chosen in France's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup which they ultimately won.

On 24 July 2017, it was announced that Premier League side Manchester City had signed Mendy on a five-year contract, for a fee reported to be £52m. The transfer fee eclipsed the previous record for a defender, set 10 days prior by City on teammate Kyle Walker. On 23 September, Mendy sustained an injury against Crystal Palace, hurting his right knee on a challenge against Palace forward Andros Townsend. The club later confirmed that Mendy had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and he underwent surgery in Barcelona on 29 September. Despite a lack of game time, Mendy became popular with Manchester City supporters due to a series of well-received social media posts. He returned from injury on 22 April 2018 as a 75th minute substitute for Fabian Delph in a game against Swansea City at the City of Manchester Stadium. This appearance gave him the minimum 5 league games required to receive a Premier League Winner's Medal.

Mendy was called up to the senior France squad for the first time to face Luxembourg and Spain in March 2017. He made his debut on 25 March 2017 against the former, playing the whole game in a 3–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification away win.

On 17 May 2018, he was called up to the French squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.