Benjamin Mendy ‘seeking financial compensation’ from Manchester City

Benjamin Mendy ‘seeking financial compensation' from Manchester City

According to reports, Benjamin Mendy intends to sue Manchester City for monetary damages.

Mendy signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 club Lorient last month, barely five days after being exonerated of rape.

The 29-year-old, whose City contract expired in the summer, was cleared of raping a woman and attempting to rape another at Chester Crown Court. Following a trial in January, Mendy was found not guilty of six charges of rape and one count of sexual assault.

When City paid £52 million for Mendy in 2017, he became the world’s most expensive defender. Indeed, City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain referred to him as “one of the world’s best full-backs” at the time.

Mendy went on to win the Premier League in his first season with City before being named to France’s World Cup-winning side in 2018.

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His last competitive game, though, came in August 2021 against Tottenham Hotspur. Later that month, the Frenchman was remanded in detention until January 2022, with the first trial scheduled for August of that year.

Mendy ‘seeking compensation’ from Man City

According to the French newspaper L’Equipe, Mendy wants to seek financial compensation from City after being suspended by the Premier League club.

Indeed, according to the newspaper, negotiations between the freshly recruited Lorient defender and his old employers have already begun.

When City suspended Mendy after news of his detention became public in August 2021, his earnings were purportedly frozen by the club.

And, according to L’Equipe, the athlete is pondering how he might recoup all or at least a portion of the suspended pay.

Mendy’s comeback to French football was confirmed last month by Lorient, who finished 10th in Ligue 1.

“Benjamin Mendy, world champion 2018, quadruple Premier League winner with Manchester City and French champion of Ligue 1 with Monaco, comes to reinforce the Lorient workforce for this new season,” the club announced in a statement. “Greetings, Benjamin.”

While the French team is slated to begin their league campaign on 13th August against champions Paris St-Germain, Mendy is not anticipated to be ready in time.