Manchester City defender reveals why he snubbed a permanent move to Sunderland
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The full-back, then playing for Le Havre in France, looked destined to make the move to Wearside after Sunderland agreed a £5million deal with his parent club.
Talks were held on Wearside but the deal then collapsed, with Mendy instead joining Ligue 1 side Marseille before later heading to City after a spell with Monaco.
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Hide AdAnd the 25-year-old has now revealed that a desire to be successful in his native France fuelled his decision to turn down a move to the Stadium of Light.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, he said: “At Le Havre, there was a big divide: some people liked PSG and others liked Marseille, when we watched Le Classique together, you’d have two sides of the room.
“But one day, I went to the Stade Velodrome. I saw the feelings, the vibes, the atmosphere and said to myself, ‘This is where I want to play’. I signed a year later.
“It’s true that I met Sunderland and we had talks, but in my head I really wanted to do something good in France before I travelled abroad.
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Hide Ad“I didn’t want to leave French football like that, through the small door. I wanted to do something big, and when that was done I could go to England.
“It’s why I preferred to go to Monaco for another challenge instead of English teams after that.”