The Fortress is safe - Mendy signs with Al-Ahli

Edouard Mendy's arrival at Chelsea and his first season at Stamford Bridge looked like a fairytale. The transfer from Rennes in September 2020, worth 24,000,000, was followed by some great saves the next season and as a ‘cherry on top’, the Champions League trophy followed. But after that, the Senegalese was relegated to the bench and was left there by the next two coaches (Graham Potter, Frank Lampard), then an injury followed up…when Mauricio Pochettino was announced as the new man to lead the Blues in to the next season, Mendy soon found out things will remain the same for him and decided it was time to go.

It took about ten days for Chelsea and Al-Ahli from Saudi Arabia to agree on the transfer of Mendy from London to Jeddah, and Chelsea made a nice profit - 18,500,000 euros for the 32-year-old goalkeeper. The Blues didn't quite get back all the money they paid to Rennes, but Mendy certainly payed of his part with a fantastic 2021 season, when the UEFA trophy was won. He was the first Senegalese goalkeeper to play in and win the Champions League, and the first African goalkeeper to do so in this rendition of Europe’s premier club competition. (Bruce Grobbelaar, of Zimbabwe, won the “European Cup” with Liverpool back in 1984).

Al-Ahli introduced Mendy during the day and immediately boasted with the words "The fortress is safe", alluding to the goalkeeping qualities of the 194cm tall goalkeeper, as well as one of the club's nicknames, which is ‘The Fortress of the Trophy”. And the Senegalese signed a contract until 2026. Chelsea continues to export footballers to Saudi Arabia, as N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly went to the Middle East before Mendy, while Hakim Ziyech is one step away from doing the same.

Mendy: 'Being an African did me a disservice for Ballon d'Or'

Mendy left Chelsea as a member of the 100 club and with great statistics. He made 105 appearances, conceded 86 goals, and kept a clean sheet in as many as 49 games. And today he became the most expensive paid footballer in the history of Al Ahli.