Former Leicester midfielder Nampalys Mendy leaves Lens
RC Lens have officially confirmed that Nampalys Mendy (33) has left the club at the end of his contract. The former Leicester City midfielder made 33 appearances for the club, including six in the UEFA Champions League.
Mendy arrived as a replacement for the club captain Seko Fofana (30), who left for Al-Nassr despite helping the side secure Champions League football following a narrow title challenge where they finished the 2022/23 season only a point behind Paris Saint-Germain.
Advertisement
Mendy struggled to step into the void left by Fofana and was unable to find consistent game time under both Franck Haise (22 appearances) and Will Still (11 appearances). The writing was on the walls for Mendy's time at Lens, when Still failed to turn to him despite an injury crisis in the centre of the park.
There had been reports around the winter transfer window that Stade Rennais and AS Saint-Étienne were interested in his services.
GFFN | Nick Hartland
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Ronaldo declares 'Al Nassr forever' after signing a two-year deal to stay in Saudi Arabia
Associated Press With the words 'Al Nassr forever' Cristiano Ronaldo ended uncertainty about his future and signed a two-year contract extension with the Saudi Arabian club on Thursday. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's latest deal means he will play on until at least the age of 42 and gives him the chance to add to his record-breaking career. 'A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let's make history together,' Ronaldo said in a social media post along with a picture of him holding up a shirt that said 'Ronaldo 2027.' The contract sees Ronaldo extend his time in Saudi Arabia, having joined Al Nassr at the end of 2022 in one of the most shocking transfers in soccer history after leaving Manchester United. The deal was reportedly worth up to $200 million a year and led to a slew of top players, including Neymar and Karim Benzema, leaving Europe for the oil-rich kingdom. With his contract due to expire, the 40-year-old Ronaldo sparked uncertainty at the end of the Saudi season last month when he said the 'chapter is over." But he ended speculation Thursday, saying 'Al Nassr forever' in the club's announcement. The deal is evidence the former Real Madrid forward wants to achieve more. The move to a less-challenging league has also not hindered his standing with his national team. The five-time Champions League winner has won 28 major trophies with club and country and just helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League title. He is the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with 141 goals. The World Cup is the only major honor missing from his resume and he may get one last chance to lift soccer's grandest prize at next year's tournament. Despite helping to raise the profile of Saudi Arabian soccer and scoring 77 goals in 74 league appearances, Ronaldo has found trophies hard to come by at Al Nassr. His one so far was the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. He is yet to win the Saudi Pro League in three attempts. Still, his latest deal was hailed by the club, which posted a video of him walking on a beach with the caption 'The Story continues..' along with emojis of a goat and a gold heart. Ronaldo is considered by many to be soccer's greatest of all time, a term often abbreviated as 'GOAT.' He and Lionel Messi have had a years-long rivalry as the two finest players of their generation, with the duel reaching its peak when they played for Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. The intensity of the rivalry has diminished in recent years as both players have entered the latter stages of their careers and are playing in less heralded leagues, with Messi joining MLS team Inter Miami in 2023. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer: recommended
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Ronaldo declares 'Al Nassr forever' after signing a two-year deal to stay in Saudi Arabia
With the words 'Al Nassr forever' Cristiano Ronaldo ended uncertainty about his future and signed a two-year contract extension with the Saudi Arabian club on Thursday. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's latest deal means he will play on until at least the age of 42 and gives him the chance to add to his record-breaking career.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How to follow Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
The European stretch of the Formula 1 season begins with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Oscar Piastri has a 22-point lead in the drivers' championship over McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. Advertisement Mercedes driver George Russell won last year's race in the Styrian mountains after Max Verstappen and Norris collided while contesting the lead. Sunday's race in Spielberg starts at 14:00 BST. Session start times and BBC coverage Commentary of the race will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and app and most smart speakers. Make sure to download the Chequered Flag podcast, which previews and reviews every race of the season. All times BST Friday 27 June First practice: 12:30-13:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers) Second practice: 16:00-17:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers) Advertisement Saturday 28 June Third practice: 11:30-12:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers) Qualifying: 15:00-16:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers) Sunday 29 June Race: 14:00 (BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and smart speakers) What is the weather forecast in Spielberg? Thursday in Spielberg has seen wet weather and warnings of thunderstorms but the rest of the weekend should be fairly settled. The high for Friday practice will be 27C, rising to 28C for qualifying on Saturday, with a gentle wind on both days. Sunday's race, which starts at 15:00 local time, is set to be even hotter with a high of 31C. Short but fast The Red Bull Ring is one of the shortest and fastest circuits on the calendar, with a length of 4.318km and a fastest lap in a race of one minute 5.619 seconds, set by Carlos Sainz in a Ferrari in 2020. Verstappen took pole last year with a time of 1:04.314. Advertisement There are three DRS zones, so plenty of overtaking opportunities for drivers over the 71 laps. Red Bull's Verstappen remains one penalty point away from a one-race ban. However, two of the 11 he has accrued over the past 12 months will drop off his licence after Austria. They were given to him for causing the collision with Norris at last year's race.
