£21 million Lyon midfielder Thiago Mendes admits his future remains uncertain when asked about reports linking him with a move to the Premier League and West Ham United, speaking to Olympique et Lyonnais.
It’s fair to say few members of Peter Bosz’s OL side really gave a good account of themselves during that 3-0 home defeat to West Ham in the Europa League quarter-finals recently.
But Mendes, their 30-year-old Brazilian playmaker, was one of the few who held his own against a vastly-superior Hammers side that Thursday night on the banks of the Rhone.
So much so that, according to journalist Jorge Nicola, David Moyes and co have identified the former Lille ace as a potential addition to a midfield that is set to lose both Mark Noble and Alex Kral in the summer.
Can Thiago Mendes replace Mark Noble?
And, when quizzed about West Ham’s interest, Mendes admits that he is not sure what the future holds as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.
“The first thing, I want to finish this season very well,” says Mendes, who shone under Marcelo Bielsa at Lille before joining Lyon for £21 million.
“I don’t know what will happen after that. I still have a year of contract left with the club, during which I give my all. I’ll leave here with my head held high. If the president (Jean-Michel Aulas) calls me to discuss whether or not to renew my contract, I would come and sit with him to listen to him.
“And if I have to stay for a year, I will always give the best of myself.”
Mendes has been a rare bright light in a difficult season for a Lyon side who, eighth in Ligue 1, are at serious risk of missing out on European football altogether.
“It is true that I’m living a very good moment. I work a lot on the pitch and in training and it shows when I play,” Mendes adds.
In addition to Kral and the retiring Noble, Manuel Lanzini is also facing an uncertain future at West Ham. The Argentine has already admitted that he would be keen on a return to River Plate.
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