Manchester City new boy Benjamin Mendy would have rejected Chelsea move... Pep Guardiola is the 'coach of his dreams', reveals Monaco chief

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Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has revealed Benjamin Mendy would have rejected a move to Chelsea and was determined to join Manchester City.

City made the French full back one of the most expensive defenders in the world when they signed him for a fee of £52million from the Ligue 1 champions in July.

And Vasilyev admits the club tried their best to keep hold of the 23-year-old before eventually deciding to cash in and allow the player to fulfil his dream of playing under Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City signed Benjamin Mendy from Monaco for a fee of £52million in July

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev says the player would have rejected Chelsea

'When we sold Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko, it was okay. The third possible departure was Mendy,' Vasilyev told L'Equipe.

'We 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 form of last season.

'He's a good kid, and one of the best players at his position, but you can never be sure of the player's psychology. It was not only a good offer, it was the championship of his dreams, the coach of his dreams.

'These are complex decisions. At first, I said, "No, you're staying". He replied: "But Vadim, I really want to go to City with 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 he 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 he could leave.'

Mendy has taken well to English football, recovering from a thigh strain to start, and impress, in City's back-to-back victories over Bournemouth and Liverpool.

Mendy in action during City's 5-0 victory over Liverpool on Saturday afternoon