Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly seen an initial bid for Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy rejected as they didn’t match his valuation.
It’s unclear what City bid for the 22-year-old, as they continue to act swiftly and decisively to put together Guardiola’s new squad well ahead of pre-season.
According to The Telegraph, they’ll have to go back with an improved offer to Monaco though, as the French champions value their defensive ace at around £40m, and ultimately it can only be assumed that City have failed to offer that figure.
As noted in the report, the Manchester giants have already sealed the £43m signing of Bernardo Silva from the Ligue 1 outfit, and it appears as though Guardiola is preparing to raid them once again.
Full-backs will certainly be needed after the decision was taken to release the likes of Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta last week, and given his impact both in the title-winning campaign and the run to the semi-finals of the Champions League this past season, it looks as though Mendy has done enough to impress the City boss.
Further, the youngster would seem like a decent fit for Guardiola’s style of play and system too with his defensive abilities matched by a powerful, attacking style, so if a fee can be agreed upon, the Spanish tactician will undoubtedly be delighted with his latest purchase.
The report adds that a bid is also expected to be made for Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker, although the England international will be slightly more expensive as Spurs will reportedly hold out for £50m and it remains to be seen whether or not City are willing to spend that much.