The January transfer window is creeping closer for Leicester City, a key time in the season as it allows a needed refresh in the squad with new faces incoming and out-of-favour players being allowed to leave on both temporary and permanent deals. Many fans are excited for potential newcomers, but the first piece of business is all but confirmed and will see a long-term midfielder and international leave the club.
Luckily, he’s not the player we all fear losing – Youri please extend that contract – but Nampalys ‘Papy’ Mendy’s departure is still fairly big news for the East Midlander’s. Still, it’s a departure we could all see happening. Mendy had been pushing for a move in the summer, but a transfer never came. Now he sees himself left out of both of Leicester‘s Premier League and Europa League squads.
Speaking to the press whilst away on international duty for Senegal, the country he has represented since March, the defensive midfielder said:
"“I’d like to leave. I hope it will get done, but I need to be patient” Nampalys Mendy via the Leicester Mercury"
So far, Mendy’s squad exclusion has led to only one senior appearance so far this season, coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup win against Brighton. He has also made 3 appearances for the Foxes in the Premier League 2 this season, though I have a feeling that he won’t be putting that on his CV anytime soon.
Mendy’s Leicester City career
To say that Papy Mendy has had a difficult time at Leicester is an understatement. The former Monaco man arrived at Leicester with huge pressure on his shoulders as he was widely seen as the replacement for the out-going N’Golo Kante in the summer of 2016. As if that wasn’t enough pressure, Mendy arrived for £13.95m from OSG Nice – a club record fee at the time.
His time at Leicester couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, as he was haunted by multiple ankle injuries that ruled him out of all but 9 games in the season. His absence led to the club turning to the market in that January and signing a certain Nigerian midfielder in Wilfred Ndidi. Wonder how he ended up getting on…
After his struggles in his debut season, he left Leicester to go out on loan to his former side, Nice, for the 2017/18 season. It was a smart move by all, as Mendy could rebuild his fitness in a familiar setting. The following year he made 32 appearances for City – the highest number of games in a single season that he has made in his Leicester career.
The following year he only played in 8 games for the Foxes and, with his contract running out that summer, it seemed like his Leicester career was over. He left the club when his contract expired in July 2020 but, in a miraculous turn of events, joined the club again only week after leaving, signing a new three-year deal.
Mendy then played a crucial part in the 2020/21 campaign, making 29 appearances overall. It was in the first half of that season that Mendy played his best football for Leicester, becoming a key player in Brendan Rodgers’ side whilst Wilfred Ndidi was out with injury. Ultimately, Ndidi returned, and Mendy once again fell out of favour.
He did, however, play a part in Leicester’s FA Cup winning campaign, and featured in the squad for the final, collecting his winners medal on a famous day for the club. Come the summer, Mendy knew his place at in the Leicester squad was under threat – the immovable midfield presence of Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans weren’t the only players in his way. The returning Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall and homegrown Hamza Choudhury were now ahead of him in the midfield queue.
Mendy’s contract runs until 2023, so the Foxes will be getting a fee for their midfielder, though it won’t be near to the fee they paid for him. Currently, Transfermarkt have him valued at £7.20m, still a decent price for him.
So far, Mendy has 80 appearances for Leicester, but will now be looking forward to a new and fresh start. Things could have worked out very differently for him at Leicester if not for injury, and he seems a lovely guy. I’m sure everyone will wish him all the best in his new chapter. (Words by Will Kennedy)