Manchester City confirm £49.3million Benjamin Mendy signing from Monaco after he flies out to LA to meet team-mates for pre-season tour
Frenchman joins Pep Guardiola's side in a world record deal for a defender just days after the Spaniard signed Danilo from Real Madrid
MANCHESTER CITY have confirmed the £49.3million signing of Benjamin Mendy from Monaco in a world record deal for a defender.
The former Monaco ace flew out to Los Angeles to sign a five-year deal after the clubs agreed a fee.
Mendy joined Monaco 12 months ago for £11m - and City have paid nearly ten times that sum 12 months later.
That takes the club's spending to £217.8m this summer so far, after Guardiola jettisoned a set of full-backs including Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy.
City have already signed Bernardo Silva, Ederson, Kyle Walker and Danilo and they are determined to go for the Premier League and Champions League double this season.
Mendy, 23, will wear the No22 shirt at the Etihad and will be available for their clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Mendy said: "I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City.
"They are one of Europe’s leading clubs and in Pep Guardiola they have a manager committed to playing attacking football.
"I am sure that over the next few years we will be successful."
Mendy started his career in France at Le Harve before joining Marseille in 2013.
City's director of football Txiki Begiristain said: "Benjamin has all the qualities we are looking for in a full-back. For such a young player, he has a wealth of top-level experience.
"He is undoubtedly one of the world’s best full-backs, our number one target in this position. We are all delighted to have him here at Manchester City.
"I’m sure he will prove a fantastic addition to the squad."
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