Carlo Ancelotti tells Florentino Perez to sell Real Madrid star after losing faith - Reports
According to El Nacional, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has told Florentino Perez to sell Ferland Mendy after losing faith in the Frenchman.
Mendy arrived at the club in 2019 and surprised everyone with his immediate impact. His defensive solidity was one of the main reasons behind the French full-back becoming a key player for Los Merengues.
However, without proper back-up, there was a drop noticed in Mendy's performances last season. This season he has made nine appearances across competitions.
Along with the drop in his defensive performances, Mendy's lack of attacking compatibility with Vinicius Junior has also been questioned. The player has also suffered from injury issues in recent seasons.
He has already missed six games over 52 days due to a muscle injury this season. Last season, Mendy missed 23 games over 92 days due to two different injuries. These injury relapses have made the club worried.
Real Madrid already have Fran Garcia in their ranks and the club are reportedly considering a move for Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies (as per El Nacional).
Mendy has so far made 142 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists. His current deal runs out at the end of the 2024-25 season. Mendy has an estimated market value of €20 million.
Real Madrid legend Fernando Morientes on the pressure of playing at the club
Real Madrid legend Fernando Moriented made 272 appearances for the club over two spells, scoring 100 goals and providing 34 assists across competitions.
The Spaniard recently opened up on how playing for the Madrid giants is different than other clubs. Speaking about the pressure of performance at Los Blancos, Morientes said (quotes via Managing Madrid):
“Well, the demand was especially big on a day-to-day basis. I came from a club that had lower demands, despite being an important team in the League at that time, such as Zaragoza."
He added:
"At Zaragzoa, there was always the possibility in people’s minds of drawing and losing. At Madrid I realized from the beginning that even in the preseason that the maximum was being demanded of you in each game. Everything you do the next day is worthless. You always have the highest demands and that ambition to win."
Morientes had a trophy-laden spell in Madrid, winning nine honors, including three UEFA Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles. Apart from Real Madrid, he also played for clubs like AS Monaco, Valencia, and Liverpool.