Caen Set To Miss Out On €1 Million Windfall

Caen could be set to miss out on a seven-figure sum, as an English club pull out of a deal to sign striker Alexandre Mendy.

Sunderland have been pursuing last season’s leading Ligue 2 scorer, but they’re now looking likely to pull out of the race, despite claims this week they had submitted a fresh bid for him. Journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter has posted on social media suggesting that the Black Cats have pulled out of the hunt, and have informed Caen of their decision. 

The original deal saw Sunderland bid around £840,000 (€1 million) for the player, who was named in the Ligue 2 Team of the Season last time out. However, Les Vikings decided they wanted a much higher figure, believed to be around £4.2 million (€5 million), and that saw negotiations break down, not only between these two clubs but also between Egyptian outfit Al-Ahly, who also submitted a bid worth £840,000.

That breakdown didn’t affect the player, who is steadfast in his desire to move to England. He even erroneously revealed that he was on his way to the Stadium of Light for a medical and a new life in England, with no deal on the table between the two clubs.  

“When Sunderland arrived, there was no more debate,” he said. “I could have gone into exile in Saudi Arabia with the idea of ​​a golden retirement but I still have things to do in football and when Yace (his advisor Yacine Ayad, editor’s note) called me to tell me Sunderland, it was as if I had blinkers on. It’s a sporting choice and I’m really looking forward to starting this new adventure.”

It now appears as though Sunderland have arrived and gone, leaving the international striker in limbo. He was not in the squad for their defeat against Paris this weekend.

The 30-year-old Mendy represents Guinea-Bissau at international level and has scored 65 goals in 142 games for Les Vikings. He had a journeyman career in France and has also played for Nice, Guingamp, Brest, Nimes, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux, with a career total of 98 goals from 286 appearances.

Writer’s View

At 30, paying anything more than £840,000 seems a big risk. Mendy might have exploded into life at Caen, but he wasn’t prolific before that. he’s got 60 goals in three seasons at Caen, but just 98 across his entire career, which started started in 2013 at Nice.

That said, Caen could still be set for a windfall. This could be a ploy be Sunderland to force their hand, lowering their asking price. If they did, say to €2 million, would it be the worse thing? A seven-figure return on a player who is 30, and who owes them nothing in terms of goals, would surely be good business.