Liverpool are set to join fellow Premier League campaigners in their pursuit of AS Monaco’s highly rated left-back Benjamin Mendy.
It’s just been a week since the curtains were brought down on league commitments across the continent but evidently teams in England are wasting no time in securing their respective targets.
After already securing the signing of Bernardo Silva Manchester City are looking to wrap up the signature of his Monaco team-mate Benjamin Mendy with competition expected from Liverpool as well, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Even Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United have documented their interest in the player in recent weeks. All the three clubs have a void to fill at left-back and with Champions League football to offer, it could ultimately come down to who is willing to cough out the largest sum for the player.
Within a free-scoring Monaco set-up, the Frenchman established himself as a mainstay making 41 appearances during the 2016-17 season scoring one goal and assisting 11 others. The left-back also helped the defence keep 21 clean sheets across all competitions during a term that saw the club lift the Ligue 1 for the first time in 16 years.
As it stands, reports from France claim that the Reds have matched Manchester City’s offer of £39 million. Therefore, should the effort to bring the 22-year-old to Merseyside be successful, he’d eclipse Andy Carroll as the most expensive transfer in the club’s history.
However, with Klopp also pursuing RB Leipzig’s £50 million rated Naby Keita, that may very well change.
Manchester City confirmed the first Premier League recruit of the summer with the signing of Bernardo Silva earlier this week in a fee that is reported to be £43 million. Pep Guardiola has since also sounded out his side’s interest in Mendy, Kyle Walker and Benfica’s Ederson.
Given the pace with which the Citizens are going about their business, should the Spaniard have his way with both the transfers, the club could potentially exceed the £100 million spending mark before the transfer window even begins.
Having released Gael Clichy, Pablo Zabaleta, Jesus Navas and Willy Caballero the boss is looking to catch hold of his primary targets to replace the departing players. That may explain the ruthlessness with which the club are going about their business. However, City may face competition from fellow top 4 finishers Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp was forced to field a midfield player in James Milner at left-back all season, as he preferred the 31-year-old’s experience over an error-prone Alberto Moreno.
That did not turn out so bad for the German as the former England international delivered some stellar performances in big games and was a reliable figure in that area of the park for large parts of the season.
However, one can’t deny that there were occasions when Liverpool genuinely felt the absence of a natural left-back and therefore their interest in Benjamin Mendy is well founded. It seems clear that the Frenchman is headed to the Premier League but which club he ends up swapping his loyalties for, is a story only time will tell.