Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy becomes latest Saudi signing

PARIS – Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy received the highest praise from his new club as he joined Al-Ahli on Wednesday, becoming the third player to leave Chelsea for Saudi Arabia since the end of the season.

He is reported to have cost around £16 million (S$27.4 million) after he opted to leave the Premier League club having lost his place to Kepa Arrizabalaga in the second half of last term.

Al-Ahli, who are making their return to the top-flight Saudi Pro League next season after a year in the second division, said Mendy’s contract would run until 2026, without giving any financial details.

“Welcome Mendy... best goalkeeper in the world,” the club posted on social media, accompanied by a video clip of the 31-year-old putting pen to paper on his contract.

“The Lion of Teranga protects our goal,” they added, referring to his national team.

Chelsea, meanwhile, also paid tribute to Mendy after three years at the club. “Having started his career in the lower tiers of French football – and even spending several months without a club – Mendy rose to the pinnacle of European football with Chelsea,” a statement said.

“A hugely likeable character on and off the pitch, he will always have a place in our history for his significant contributions to our 2021 Champions League triumph.

“For that, and for everything else, we are grateful. Good luck, Edou!”

Mendy helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021, but played only once for the club after returning from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He fell out of favour following Thomas Tuchel’s sacking as Chelsea manager in September, with his successor Graham Potter and then interim boss Frank Lampard both preferring to use Arrizabalaga in goal.

It was a shock fall from grace for a player named Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season and Fifa’s Best Male Goalkeeper in 2021.

Mendy joins former World Cup winner N’Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly in swopping Stamford Bridge for clubs in Saudi Arabia, with the pair having joined Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal respectively.

Hakim Ziyech, another Chelsea player set to leave this summer, is also understood to be on the brink of moving to the Gulf state after a deal was struck for him to join Al-Nassr.

The Blues are eager to clear out as many of their unwanted players as possible before Friday so that the sales can be included in financial accounts for 2022-23.

The recent wave of European players lured to Saudi Arabia by the promise of huge salaries was started by Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Manchester United to Al-Nassr in January.

Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema has also joined Kante at Al-Ittihad.

Last week, Ruben Neves, the 26-year-old Portuguese international, left Wolverhampton Wanderers for Al-Hilal.

Earlier in June, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced a sports clubs investment and privatisation project involving the league champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.

PIF owns 75 per cent of each of the four clubs, while their respective non-profit foundations own 25 per cent of each. AFP, REUTERS