Benjamin Mendy never wanted to work under Antonio Conte at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has lifted the lid on Benjamin Mendy’s summer move to Manchester City and revealed that the defender was never keen on working under Antonio Conte at Chelsea.

Mendy joined City for a fee of around £52million in July following an impressive campaign in the Champions League with Monaco and it’s understood a number of elite European sides were interested in signing the 23-year-old left-back.

Vasilyev stresses that the Ligue 1 outfit were reluctant to let Mendy leave but the chance to work with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad meant the France international was desperate to move.

‘For a while, we held off,’ Vasilyev said on interest from the Premier League for the full-back.

Pep Guardiola was determined to land Benjamin Mendy this summer (Picture: Getty)

‘And then, we thought – in spite of the offers that we had had for him and him indicating that he wanted to leave – could he have another season like the last one?

‘At first, I said, “No, you’re staying”. He replied: “But Vadim, I really want to go to City and link up with Guardiola.”

Vadim Vasilyev has lifted the lid on Benjamin Mendy’s move to the Etihad (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte expressed a keen interest in Mendy, before his transfer to City, but Vasilyev claims the defender never wanted to work under the Italian at Stamford Bridge.

He said: ‘On numerous occasions he said to me: “If it was Chelsea, I’d stay; but if it’s a chance to work with Guardiola, I want to go.” He’d spoken so frankly with me.

‘So, when City met the asking price and when he became the most expensive defender in the world, there were no more arguments to have with him. We weighed up the for and against and said to him: “OK, you can go.”’

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