Ferland Mendy has been a great servant to Real Madrid. He has made over 200 appearances for the club, won the Champions League twice, and lifted three La Liga titles. However, this season is not going well for the left-back.
Mendy has made just one appearance for Los Blancos this campaign. This came in a 4-3 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League. Despite playing 90 minutes against the Greek side, he was back on the bench as Xabi Alonso's side drew with Girona last weekend.
The Frenchman missed the start of the season due to a hamstring injury. Now, Mendy faces another spell on the sidelines. Fabrizio Romano posted on X: "Mendy will be out for at least three weeks after new muscle injury."
This is a blow to Alonso, who is already missing another full-back, his captain, Dani Carvajal. Álvaro Carreras, who signed from Benfica last summer, has established himself as Real Madrid's first-choice left-back this season. Los Blancos also have Fran García as another option in the position.
Mendy is now 30, and his injury problems have meant that he is becoming surplus to requirements at Real Madrid. A move to the Premier League or another one of Europe's top clubs would have at one stage been a possibility for Mendy. However, given the player's age and his injury record, it is unlikely one of the best teams on the continent will take a chance on him.
Is it time for Ferland Mendy to leave Real Madrid?
The Saudi Pro League could be an option for Mendy. Al-Ittihad has reportedly been interested in acquiring his services in the past. The Saudi Arabian side has a track record of signing French players; Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté are on their current roster.
Many international careers come to an end when a player heads to the Saudi Pro League. However, Kanté was still called up for the recent World Cup qualifiers. Mendy has not played for France since a friendly with Canada last year.
Mendy then spent the whole of Euro 2024 on the substitutes bench. France does have Theo Hernández at their disposal, who also played in the Saudi Pro League as Al-Hilal's left-back. Before he can start thinking about playing for France again, Mendy needs to ensure regular game time for a club.
The France international is contracted to Real Madrid until 2028, but money is not seen as an item for the Saudis. They would be happy to pay a fee and then a generous wage package for Mendy's services.