Benjamin Mendy will go to court on Friday after being charged with four counts of rape and one of sexual assault. The left-back is currently suspended by the Premier League champions.
The 27-year old is under investigation, the Cheshire police confirmed. The charges are related to three complaints, all allegedly happening between October 2020 and August 2021. Mendy has been remanded into custody ahead of his court appearance.
“Cheshire Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service would like to remind everyone that criminal proceedings against Mendy are live and that he has a right to a fair trial,” a police spokesman said through a statement.
Mendy signed with City in 2017 and won three Premier League titles with manager Pep Guardiola’s team. The Manchester club paid AS Monaco $71 million for his services. “Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation,” City wrote on its website.
Mendy has played two games at City since the start of the season. In total, he has 75 matches in the Man. City shirt, scoring two goals. Mendy has also played 10 games as part of the French national team.