Benjamin Mendy has completed his A?52m transfer from Monaco to Manchester City to become the world’s most expensive defender.
The 23-year-old France left-back has signed a five-year deal with the club. Mendy is City’s fifth major signing of the summer and takes their spending to more than A?200m.
Mendy said: “I am very proud. This is what I wanted from the very beginning. As soon as the championship was over, I talked to my family and it was all clear in my head: I wanted to join Manchester City.
“I think I am the right person for the group. I am easily adaptable. There are some players with whom I exchanged a few emails, I knew them from some years ago. Regarding football, I can bring a lot of creativity in the game, I can offer different solutions, I like to take to play as full-back and provide assists for the strikers.”
“He is undoubtedly one of the world’s best full-backs, our number one target in this position,” said director of football Txiki Begiristain.
Mendy played 34 times for Monaco last season and helped them to their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years after joining them from Marseille last summer.
Mendy joins a cash-packed Man City Backline
He is the Premier League club’s fifth major signing of the summer following the recruitment of England right-backAKyle WalkerAfor A?45m, plus a potential A?5m of add-ons, Portugal midfielderABernardo SilvaA(A?43m), Brazilian keeperAEderson MoraesA(A?35m) and defenderADaniloAfrom Real Madrid (A?26.5m).
The arrival of Mendy leaves Manchester City with the most expensive defensive line-up in world football. Mendy has emerged as one of the best left-backs in Europe despite just a single season at Monaco following a A?13m move from Marseille last summer, and was one of a number of Monaco players of interest to other clubs following their French Ligue 1 triumph.
They have sold left-backAAleksandar Kolarov,A31, to Roma for A?4.5m.
