Benjamin Mendy Facing Uncertain Future at Manchester City After Reported Row With Pep Guardiola
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy faces an uncertain future with the club after frustrating Pep Guardiola with his attitude and commitment in recent weeks.
After arriving in Manchester in 2017 in what was an expensive transfer, Mendy suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury which sidelined him for the majority of the season. He started the current campaign in impressive form, before suffering another minor injury setback.
The report of the bust-up between Guardiola and Mendy comes from ESPN, who claim that Guardiola has questioned Mendy's future with the club in recent weeks as a result of several incidents which have left Guardiola doubting the defender's professionalism.
The report suggests Mendy arrived three hours late for a scheduled treatment session on Sunday, after being seen watching Anthony Joshua's fight with Alexander Povetkin at Wembley on Saturday evening.
Guardiola was asked about Mendy's current situation during a pre-match press conference on Saturday, and initially tried to downplay the problem. He explained that traffic is often to blame, or dropping children off at school, but looked increasingly frustrated as the interviewer pressed the Spaniard for answers and pointed out that the incident took place on a Sunday.
Goal journalist Sam Lee posted a video on Twitter of Guardiola's response to the question, in which he eventually confirmed that he had talked to Mendy about the incident. He said: "Yes, he was late. I have spoken to him.
"They [players] know that they have to be here on time."
The report from ESPN states that Mendy's late arrival to his treatment was 'the final straw' for Guardiola, prompting serious questions about the Frenchman's future at the club.
He has made just 13 appearances for Manchester City since arriving for a reported £52m in the summer of 2017, but was still named in France's World Cup winning squad this summer. He has begun the new season in impressive form, registering four assists from as many Premier League appearances.
The report of a bust-up is particularly surprising given the two were previously thought to maintain a close relationship. In a recent interview the Mendy revealed that this is even something his teammates tease him about, calling Guardiola the defender's 'father'.