Ligue 1 Club Lorient Signs Benjamin Mendy Following His Acquittal in Rape Case

 

Former Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy has signed a two-year deal with Ligue 1 side Lorient, shortly after being cleared of rape charges. The 29-year-old French international was acquitted of one count of rape and one count of attempted rape by a British court on Friday. Previously, in January, he was also found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Mendy's last appearance for City was against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2021, after which he was suspended by the Premier League club upon his arrest. City released him when his contract expired last month.

Lorient confirmed that Mendy had passed a medical examination and will don the number five shirt. He is expected to make his first appearance at the club's training ground later on Wednesday.

Back in 2017, when Mendy joined City from Monaco, he became the Premier League's most expensive defender, with a transfer fee of £52 million ($67.28 million).

During his time at City, he contributed to the team's success by winning three league titles. Moreover, he was part of France's 2018 World Cup-winning squad, though he didn't feature in the final match.

Lorient finished 10th in the league last season and now looks forward to the upcoming friendly against U.S. businessman Bill Foley's Premier League club Bournemouth, where Foley has a significant stake. The friendly match is scheduled to take place in England on August 5th.