Real Madrid received a blow to their transfer plans as they failed to land their primary defensive target, Leny Yoro from Lille.
Without his signing, the Merengues are expected to go into the next season only with Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Jesus Vallejo as their center-backs, while Aurelien Tchouameni will be the emergency option.
This state of affairs leaves Los Blancos’ backline quite weak, especially keeping in view that David Alaba is still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered last season, which might keep him out for a significant part of the next season as well.
However, Real Madrid are very close to closing another operation that can ensure their team’s defensive stability for the next year and beyond.
According to MARCA, the Merengues have already laid the groundwork for a contract renewal agreement with their left-back Ferland Mendy. The player will sign this contract once he returns from his holidays.
This new contract will keep the Frenchman with Real Madrid till 2027, while there is also the option for an additional year if he plays a certain number of games.
The number of games played by Mendy was one of the issues raised the most vigorously by his agent, especially considering that the defender played a high number of important games last season.
Despite starting the season with an injury, the Frenchman was able to make 23 league appearances and 11 UEFA Champions League appearances under Carlo Ancelotti. In total, he played 37 games last season, which is the highest number he has achieved in a Real Madrid shirt.
Furthermore, the number of games that Mendy ends up playing will also determine the money that he earns with this contract.
Carlo Ancelotti had asked the club specifically to finalize this operation, as he considers Mendy to be a key part of his squad. With Fran Garcia and Mendy, Ancelotti is satisfied that he has the required options at the left-back position for the next season, even though Alphonso Davies is looking to move away from the white club.
