Whilst Leicester City chose not to turn to the transfer market in January, they will be welcoming back a handful of players that may well feel like new signings. James Justin has started his return – looking as lively as ever – and will only continue to get stronger, Wesley Fofana will join first-team training in mid-February, and now, it seems like Papy Mendy’s LCFC career has gotten another lifeline.
In the summer, it looked like Mendy was destined to leave; first team football was hard to come by in the second half of last season, and Boubakary Soumaré’s arrival seemed to be the final blow. A loan move to Galatasaray was on the cards, but eventually broke down, leaving the Senegal international to fight for his place in the squad.
A well-documented injury crisis led to Brendan Rodgers selecting the outcasted Filip Benkovic in his 25-man Premier League and Europa League squads in the summer, leaving Mendy without a place. From then-on, it seemed inevitable that Mendy would depart, making only 1 first team appearance as a substitute in the Foxes’ win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup. Please click the link below to go to the subsequent page of the article.
As if that weren’t cruel enough for him, Mendy also suffered a groin strain which kept him from further opportunities in the Carabao Cup. The U23s was Mendy’s way of rehabilitating and keeping him up to fitness, making 3 starts in the PL2. All this led to an open interview in November in which the midfielder admitted that he would like to leave the club.
To his immense credit, Mendy never stopped working hard and, despite not being in the Foxes’ first team squad, he was selected for Senegal ahead of their AFCON campaign. Bad luck hit Mendy again with a positive COVID test ruling him out of the opening two games of the tournament.
However, Mendy’s chance finally came, and boy did he take it. The defensive midfielder looked back to his best, culminating in a MotM performance against Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals. Another brilliant display against Burkina Faso in the semi-final saw Senegal progress and set up a mouth-watering final against Egypt, with Senegal attempting to win the competition for the first time in their history.
Speaking on his situation, Mendy had this to say:
"“It’s [been] very complicated and very difficult, whether it be mentally, it’s complicated when I’m deprived of what I love, but I’m passionate.” “I worked really really hard during that period when I wasn’t playing, and today it’s paying off. I’m very pleased and I hope it’ll carry on like this.” Papy Mendy via the Leicester Mercury"
Mendy’s performances have shown that he is still a quality player that Leicester could use. This, and the departure of Benkovic, has seen him reinstated in Rodgers’ Premier League squad as the Foxes prepare to save their season.
Unlike Benkovic – who didn’t make a single senior appearance for Leicester this season – Mendy will be key to the squad for the rest of this season. The injury crisis at Leicester City isn’t relenting, with Jonny Evans out until April at the very least. This, alongside Soyuncu and Vestergaard’s poor performance, suggests that Wilfred Ndidi could be deployed as a starting centre back – just as he was against Liverpool in December.
Ndidi’s role in the back-line leaves a hole in midfield that Mendy could easily fill, especially if he takes his AFCON form back with him when he returns to Seagrave. The Foxes are still, at time of writing, fighting in three competitions (Premier League, FA Cup and Europa Conference League) and will desperately want to get a cup to fix a mixed season for them. Mendy adds crucial depth if they are to do this.
With his contract expiring in 2023, it seems like Mendy will be on the move in the summer, I think it would come as a great surprise to Foxes fans if he were to extend his contract again. If he is to leave in the summer, it would be a fantastic send-off if his final actions in the East Midlands were to help his team win the Conference League. Either way, it is good to see him back.