Barça with an eye on Lyon's Mendy: the Kylian Mbappe of left-backs

Barça with an eye on Lyon's Mendy: the Kylian Mbappe of left-backs

 Mendy, del Olympique de Lyon,  vuelve a sonar para el Barça / | sport

Mendy could follow in Abidal's footsteps and eventually replace Jordi Alba

In the background of Tuesday's game between Lyon adn Barcelona, there will be various other themes. One of them will be the performance of Ferland Mendy, who has been dubbed "the Kylian Mbappe of left-backs" in his native France and who's been linked as the long-term successor to Jordi Alba at Camp Nou. 

Eric Abidal is following him closely and Mendy could follow Abidal's footsteps. Barça's current sporting director arrived at Barça as a player from Lyon. Now he's got an eye on offering the 23-year-old full-back a similar career path. 

Mendy, who curiously wears the same No.22 shirt Abidal did, has been a professional or three years. He began his pro career, like Paul Pogba, Lassana Diarra and Riyad Mahrez, at La Havre and now looks ready to take the next leap. The French press suggest he could even join Barça this summer for up to 40 million. 

COMPARED WITH MAN CITY'S Mendy

Mendy's rise has been meteoric despite being released by Paris Saint-Germain as a teenager because of a hip problem. 

His personal life was not easy, either, as he lost his father when he was 15. The agent Yvan Le Mee baptised him the "the Mbappe of left-backs" and France Football say that "at his age, there is no one better in his position." 

He's also been compared with his namesake, Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy, whose progress in England has been halted due to injury problems. It was Ferland who shone when Lyon played at the Etihad Stadium in the group phase of the Champions League. 

DembELE'S FRIEND

On Tuesday, he will have the chance to catch up with a friend who could become a teammate next season: Ousmane Dembele. His siblings live in Evreux, where Dembele is from, and they met when Mendy would visit the town. They played together every now and again when they were teenagers. 

Now he will cross Lionel Messi. It's a test which could be as tough as it is decisive for his future...