Ancelotti considering using Ferland Mendy as a center-back -report

La Sexta reporter Jose Luis Sanchez, who also works as a Real Madrid insider for El Chiringuito de Jugones, reported last night that new coach Carlo Ancelotti is considering using Ferland Mendy as a center-back next season.

Mendy has played his whole career on the left side of the defensive line, but his lack of an efficient offensive game and his physicality could ultimately make him a good candidate to play as a center-back in case of need, something which would allow Ancelotti to deploy new signing David Alaba as the team’s primary option for the left-back spot.

Real Madrid still need to sort out Raphael Varane’s future and if the Frenchman stays in the Spanish capital it’s likely that Mendy won’t be needed as a center-back. However, if Varane leaves, Madrid would need to play either Mendy or Alaba in the center of the defensive line, with Nacho Fernandez almost certainly being the third option for the spot.

Alaba has played more games than Mendy as a center-back and is familiar with the spot, but he’s a better fit on the left-back position in Ancelotti’s system, given that the Italian coach likes to move the ball very efficiently even through the flanks. Considering this context and also Mendy’s performances as a center-back —albeit in a three-man defensive line—, the Frenchman could be an intriguing option to replace Varane in the lineup.