Benjamin Mendy said he would reject Chelsea transfer - Monaco chief Vadim Vasilyev

BENJAMIN MENDY had no interest in joining Chelsea and only had eyes for Manchester City, according to Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev.

Benjamin MendyGETTY

Benjamin Mendy told Monaco he would snub a move to Chelsea

Benjamin Mendy joined Manchester City in July for £52million, becoming the world’s most expensive defender.

Monaco attempted to hold onto the 23-year-old and had not intended to sell the left-back following his impressive 2016/17 campaign.

However, the club’s vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has admitted City’s huge offer and Mendy’s persistence to leave ultimately led to the deal.

And Vasilyev has since revealed Mendy informed him he would not have left had it been Chelsea and not City who had been chasing him.

Benjamin MendyGETTY

Benjamin Mendy has been a huge success since moving to Manchester City

Benjamin Mendy scores outrageous corner in training

“Bernardo Silva and [Tiemoue] Bakayoko, it was done [their moves to City and Chelsea],” Vasilyev told French newspaper L’Equipe.

“The third possible exit was Mendy which we had long resisted. 

“And then, given the offers we had for him and his willingness to leave, we wondered if he would be able to repeat the same season. It was complex.

“At first, I said, ‘No, you're staying.

“He replied, ‘But Vadim, I really want to go to City with [Pep] Guardiola.’ 

“Several times he said to me, ‘If it was Chelsea, I would stay, but this is Guardiola, I want to go there.’

"He was frank with me. So when City put that price, when it became the most expensive defender in the world, I had no more arguments to oppose it.”

“We weighed the pros and cons and we told him.”

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