Nampalys Mendy has set his sights on leaving Leicester City in the January transfer window after falling out of Brendan Rodgers’ Premier League plans, speaking to Senegalese publication APS.
In truth, the writing has been on the wall for a while as far as Mendy’s Leicester future is concerned.
Heading into this season, the long-serving 29-year-old found himself stuck behind Wilfred Ndidi and Hamza Choudhury in Rodgers’ pecking order.
The last thing he needed, then, was to see another ‘number six’ arrive in the shape of Boubakary Soumare, a £17 million acquisition from Ligue 1 champions Lille.
And that’s without mentioning the rise of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
It should come as no real surprise, then, to learn Mendy hasn’t played a minute of Premier League football this season – a niggling groin injury not helping his prospects – with the midfielder’s only action coming in the EFL Cup fourth round victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.
Has Nampalys Mendy played his last game for Leicester City?
“It’s normal, it’s logical. I would like to leave,” said Mendy, who was excluded from Leicester’s Europa League squad before the group stages kicked off in September.
“I hope it will happen – but I have to be patient.”
In the final few days of the summer transfer window, Mendy’s agent admitted the former Monaco scrapper had agreed a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.
It was later revealed, however, that the deal fell through as Mendy failed to complete his medical prior to the 1 September deadline (FootMercato).
It remains to be seen whether Galatasaray come calling again in January.
The Istanbul outfit have their hearts set on a new defensive midfielder although it’s believed Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny – rather than Mendy – is their number one target these days.
Leicester have been linked with an exciting Serie A prospect heading into the January transfer window and have also sent scouts to watch a fleet-footed forward who has been compared to Antoine Griezmann.
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