New-signing Benjamin Mendy has given his first interview since completing a transfer from AS Monaco for a reported £52million, a world record for a defender.
The 23-year-old left-back first caught the eye when playing against City in last season’s Champions League.
And Mendy becomes the second Monaco player to join City following the £43million capture of wide player Bernardo Silva.
City manager Pep Guardiola’s summer spending exceeds £200million and since taking over last summer the money paid out on transfers is a staggering £385million.
Mendy, who takes the number 22 shirt, is the third new full back at the Etihad following the captures of Tottenham’s Kyle Walker and Real Madrid’s Brazilian Danilo. They replace the departed Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov.
ON JOINING CITY…
“I am very proud of joining Manchester City, this is what I wanted from the very beginning. As soon as the championship was over, I talked to my family and it was all clear in my head, I wanted to join Manchester City. I’m really happy about it.”
ON THE LAST FEW DAYS BEFORE THE SIGNING…
“It’s true, it was very tiring, but that’s the way it is, it’s called professionalism, football is like that, and I don’t regret anything. I am happy to have taken this flight, I have had a tough day today but I am happy to be here with the whole group, with all of you. I am proud to be here.”
ON MY STYLE OF PLAY…
“I think I am the right person for the group. I am easily adaptable. There are some players with whom I exchanged a few emails, I knew them from some years ago. Regarding football, I can bring a lot of creativity in the game, I can offer different solutions, I like to take to play as full back and provide assists for the strikers.”
ON MY GOALS…
“This is a goal of mine: every year I want to improve and this year must be better than last year. These are my goals, these are part of what I do well, and I count on that.”
ON PEP GUARDIOLA…
“It is true that he likes to motivate and push his players. He is in the same mould as Marcelo Bielsa, they belong to the same football family and I think that can only be beneficial for me and for the rest of the team as well.”
ON MY SKILL WITH ASSISTS…
“All the better if we compete, it’s more positive, better for the team, it means that there will be a lot of goals scored, and then everyone will be happy, but the main point is to get good results.”