Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy signs for FC Lorient

Former Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy has signed for Ligue 1 side FC Lorient on a two-year deal. The Ligue 1 club released a statement to announce the signing of the Frenchman.

"FC Lorient is pleased to announce today the signing for two seasons of French international left-back Benjamin Mendy (29). After having satisfied the traditional medical examination, Benjamin Mendy, world champion 2018, quadruple winner of the Premier League under the colors of Manchester City and French champion of Ligue 1 with Monaco in particular, comes to reinforce the Lorient workforce for this new season. Welcome Benjamin," FC Lorient said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old will wear the number 5 shirt for the club. Mendy walked away from the treble winners as a free agent. He was also recently found not guilty of rape and attempted rape by a jury at Chester Crown Court earlier this month.

According to Goal.com, he was cleared of six-count rapes during his initial trial in January. Mendy was one of the regular players for City before the allegations were made against him. After being cleared of the charges he was released by the Blues after his contract expired on June 31. He featured for the club 75 times and ended up with four Premier League titles. The player was also a member of the France squad that lifted the 2018 World Cup after defeating Croatia in the final.

After the allegations surfaced, Mendy was sidelined and he has not made an appearance on the pitch since August 2021. He made his last appearance for City in a 1-0 loss against Tottenham. Even before the allegations, fitness was a big issue as he spent the majority of the time staying on the sidelines due to injury. Mendy has experience of playing in France with Marseille, Le Havre, and Monaco before he made a switch to the Premier League.