Edouard Osoque Mendy (born 1 March 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Chelsea and the Senegal national team.
Starting his career in his native France, Mendy played in the Le Havre academy before signing professional terms with third division Cherbourg in 2011. Mendy was released in 2014, after which he almost quit football, before getting an opportunity with Marseille's reserves. He established himself as regular in the following seasons at Reims and Rennes.
In September 2020, Mendy signed for Premier League side Chelsea for a fee reported of £22 million. In his first season, he immediately broke into the starting line-up, becoming the first African goalkeeper to play for the club's senior team, and kept sixteen clean sheets in the Premier League. Mendy also equalled the record for the most clean sheets in a UEFA Champions League season with nine, and kept another clean sheet in the final to help Chelsea win their second title. He was also awarded both the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year and The Best FIFA Goalkeeper of 2021, becoming the first African goalkeeper in football's history to win both awards.
Eligible to play for Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and France, Mendy initially joined Guinea-Bissau in honour of his father, but subsequently switched allegiance to Senegal, where he became the first choice keeper for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, helping Senegal to a runners-up finish. He helped his nation win the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, while also being named the tournament's best goalkeeper, keeping a clean sheet in the final.
Mendy has been described as a physically dominant goalkeeper who exerts a strong influence in the defensive third. In the 2019–20 season with Rennes, Mendy recorded a 75.3% save success rate, the highest in Ligue 1, averaging 2.5 saves per game. In the same season, Mendy completed 51.4% of his passes over 40 yards, the same as Ederson, who is highly regarded for his kicking ability. Mendy is an aerially assertive goalkeeper, frequently coming off his line to claim crosses. He is also very vocal, often organizing his defenders' positioning. Upon his arrival at Chelsea, former manager Frank Lampard praised his positive attitude and work ethic. |
