Jhegson Mendez set for Sundowns move as Ecuador future comes under scrutiny

Mamelodi Sundowns are set to complete the signing of Jhegson Mendez in January, but the midfielder’s move to South Africa has raised questions over his prospects with Ecuador.

The 29-year-old will join the PSL champions on a free transfer from Ecuadorian champions Independiente del Valle. He is scheduled to play his final match for the club on 13 December before travelling to South Africa.

Mendez has agreed a contract that will run for essentially two and a half years, with an option to extend it by a further season. The agreement remains subject to him passing a medical after his arrival.

Once completed, the deal will place Mendez among the top 10 earners in the PSL. His cost-to-company package is expected to be more than R8 million per year.

Sundowns are expected to announce the signing after the midfielder has completed his medical.

Mendez should have fewer language difficulties than some overseas arrivals. He spent four years playing in Florida and Los Angeles, where he developed a reasonable understanding of English alongside Spanish.

The main uncertainty concerns whether a move to South Africa could affect his international career. Mendez has won 38 caps for Ecuador and is a team-mate of Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo.

South American national-team selectors have often shown limited interest in players based in the PSL. Marcelo Allende has been cited as an example, with the Chile international overlooked despite his consistent performances for the Tshwane giants.

Chile are 50th in the FIFA rankings, while Ecuador are ranked 24th and are regarded as a considerably stronger football nation. That has led to concern about whether Ecuador will continue selecting Mendez once he begins playing in South Africa.

Bolivia and Venezuela, generally the lowest-ranked teams in the CONMEBOL confederation, have typically continued to consider players based in South Africa. However, several South Americans who previously played in the PSL have expressed doubts about Mendez’s international prospects.

Those players also maintained that the PSL deserves greater recognition than it currently receives across South America.

Despite the concerns surrounding his national-team future, Mendez’s move to Sundowns is effectively complete, with only the medical and formal announcement still outstanding.