Manchester City ‘attentive’ to situation of Real Madrid star that could solve problem position

Manchester City, once again, look set to be in the market for a new left-back this summer, as Etihad Stadium officials seem determined to finally solve a long-term problem position.

The left side of Pep Guardiola’s defence has been an area of concern ever since the Catalan coach took charge of the club in the summer of 2016, with transfer chiefs unable to find a long-term solution in the role despite various attempts.

As such, Guardiola has been forced into utilising a number of players out of their natural position over in the left-back role, including the likes of Fabian Delph, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte, and Nathan Ake.

Most recently, Joao Cancelo has been used to the most success, often finding himself in an inverted full-back role, while the summer signing of Sergio Gomez – who was converted to left-back while at RSC Anderlecht – has been largely unconvincing from a defensive standpoint.

The summer of 2023 could mark the latest window where Manchester City attempt to find a longer-term solution in the role, and a new claim from Spain takes the Premier League champions towards Real Madrid for a possible solution.

According to a report from Spanish newspaper Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are ‘attentive’ to the situation of Real Madrid’s first-choice left-back Ferland Mendy.

The France international’s current contract expires in the summer of 2025, and continues to wait for the La Liga giants to open talks over a new deal.

However, according to Sport, the renewal of Mendy’s contract is not deemed as a priority and as such, they are ‘open to listening to offers’ for the former Olympique Lyonnais man – subsequently sparking interest from some of Europe’s premier clubs.

From the viewpoint of Real Madrid, after paying €50 million for the 27 year-old in 2019, they would need a similar figure to sanction a sale, as they look towards Bayern Munich and Canada star Alphonso Davies as a possible replacement.

Next summer is also likely to see Manchester City invest in the central midfield position, with Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham viewed as the primary target, despite firm competition from both Real Madrid and Liverpool.

However, City officials are expected to wait and see what the future holds for Ilkay Gundogan – who is out of contract at the end of the season, and Bernardo Silva – who continues to hint at seeking a possible exit from the club for the third season running.