Unemployed in 2014, Edouard Mendy could clearly have left the world of football aside, at least at the professional level. Finally, the goalkeeper at 94 meters did not give up. After a false arrival in League One (English D3) at the time, the 2021 European champion and 2022 African champion took the best revenge. Climbing the ladder one after the other, to the point of being considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Alas, his situation in the club has deteriorated. And after ?
Dream start for Mendy at Chelsea
On September 24, 2020, Edouard Mendy put his bags down at chelsea. On tip-toes. The Senegalese international goalkeeper cost 24 million euros to the Blues, him the defector from Stade Rennais. Very quickly, the former porter of theOlympic Marseille, from Stade de Reims but also from Cherbourg, stole the show from the incumbent, the Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga. After playing 31 Premier League matches in his first season, Mendy played 34 the following year, despite a start at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Barely three years after being crowned French Ligue 2 champion with Stade de Reims, Edouard Mendy raised… the Champions League under the colors of Chelsea. And this while being one of the great architects of the London triumph. At the same time, the native of Montivilliers won the European Super Cup, the Club World Cup and then the CAN with Senegal in stride. A golden period for Mendy, which seemed set to last. Except that mixed performances on the resumption, combined with a change of coach, tipped everything.
Potter revives Kepa at the expense of the Senegalese
Holder during the first six days of the Premier League, Edouard Mendy is strongly criticized for several balls with serious consequences. Finally, after having had the confidence of coach Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, just two days after his arrival on the Chelsea bench, decided to relaunch Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard, bought for 80 million euros in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao, had his place in the London goal stolen by Mendy.
Obviously, with 2 clean sheets in the Champions League and 3 in the Premier League, Kepa gives full satisfaction to Graham Potter. Edouard Mendy, 30, is under contract until 2025 with Chelsea. In view of his CV and his ambitions, there is no doubt that he will not agree to stay on the bench indefinitely. It remains to be seen whether the Blues will intend to give him a chance, sooner or later. If nothing changes by the next winter transfer window, it would not be surprising to see the Senegalese international with 25 selections trying to change air. But we are not there yet.