Real Madrid sign French defender Ferland Mendy for initial €48m

Lyon star has played four times at international level

Real Madrid have signed  Lyon and France defender  Ferland Mendy  (pictured right) for an initial €48 million. Photograph: Emmanuel Foudrot/Reuters
Real Madrid have signed Lyon and France defender Ferland Mendy (pictured right) for an initial €48 million. Photograph: Emmanuel Foudrot/Reuters

French defender Ferland Mendy has signed for Real Madrid in a deal worth an initial €48 million, the player’s current club Olympique Lyonnais said on Wednesday.

Since he joined Lyon in July 2017, Mendy, 24, has played four times for France and played games in Champions League.

Real Madrid and its newly re-hired coach Zinedine Zidane has started to sign prominent players, such as Belgium winger Eden Hazard, to strengthen the team ahead of next season after a disappointing 2018-2019 campaign.

Real Madrid will pay an initial €48 million for Mendy with a possible further €5 million in incentive payments.