Nampalys Mendy: Senegal midfielder linked with FC Metz move

Senegal international Nampalys Mendy, currently without a club after leaving Watford, is being linked with a move to Ligue 2 side FC Metz. The 34-year-old defensive midfielder, whose market value is listed at around €700,000, is available as a free agent following the end of his spell with the Championship club this summer.

Metz are understood to be assessing experienced options at the base of midfield, with Mendy’s extensive top-flight background in both France and England viewed as a potential short-term solution. The former Leicester City and Nice player has made 164 Ligue 1 appearances and featured 98 times in the Premier League, offering a level of know-how that would immediately strengthen a promotion-chasing squad.

Mendy spent the 2025-26 season at Watford after joining from Lens on a free transfer in August 2025, having returned to French football with the northern club earlier in his career following his release from Leicester. His most recent sustained run of games at the highest level came in Ligue 1, where he amassed more than 13,000 minutes of action.

On the international stage, Mendy was part of the Senegal side that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, an achievement that underlines the calibre of experience Metz are exploring. Any deal would not involve a transfer fee, with the midfielder on the market after his contract at Watford came to an end.