Rennes want double what Chelsea bid for Édouard Mendy — report

Chelsea’s pursuit of Édouard Mendy looked likely to succeed when it first began, but Stade Rennais are proving less than willing participants — not that we should be expecting them to play along and just let things happen without putting up a fight.

According to the Telegraph, the Champions League-bound outfit have set an asking price of €40m, which is significantly more than our first reported bid of €16m and still double the second reported bid of €20m. It’s also more than the €35m that Lille were supposedly set to charge for their goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, which was high enough that we dropped out of that pursuit and turned our attentions to Mendy.

Rennes know that we’re in a semi-desperate situation, so they can hike up the price freely. Their season is already underway, too, adding to their reluctance to sell.

Looks like we might have to look for a cheaper, last-minute option.