Bristol City linked with young Nice striker Alexandre Mendy please log in to view this image Reports in France claim Bristol City are keeping tabs on Nice forward Alexandre Mendy. BRISTOL City are being linked with a potential move for rising Nice star Alexandre Mendy. French daily sports paper L'equipe claim the Robins and fellow Championship club Newcastle United are showing an interest in the 22-year-old striker. About to become a free agent, Mendy is is out of contract at the end of this month and Nice are prepared to let him leave. Although City and Newcastle are reportedly in for the Toulon-born raider, who came through the Nice youth academy, they face competition from French First Division side EA Guingamp, with L'equipe suggesting the Breton club are favourites for his signature. City have previously been linked with highly-rated Le Havre forward Lys Mousset, but the 20-year-old is also being tracked by Seville and Torino. please log in to view this image This latest rumour is no coincidence given that City have invested a good deal of money, time and effort into establishing a comprehensive scouting network in France,a market head coach Lee Johnson believes offers potential value for money. Both Mousset and Mendy are known to City striker Jonathan Kodjia, the 26-year-old Ivory Coast international who joined City from French Second Division side Angers for £2.1 million last summer. Kodjia netted 20 goals in all competitions in his first season in English football and City are on the lookout for further hidden gems on the Continent this summer. Of course, any concerted move for Mendy would represent a calculated risk on the part of the Championship club. But Mendy boasts an impressive goal-scoring record in the French Second tier, having netted nine goals in 26 outings during a successful loan spell with Nimes. Prior to that, he scored six times in 13 starts for semi-professional outfit Strasbourg in 2014. Mendy qualifies to play for France and Senegal. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bristol-city-linked-young-nice-striker-alexandre/story-29407975-detail/story.html
In a straight fight with Newcastle for his signature I doubt we'd stand any chance. And whilst we may now have a scouting network in France, I dare say a lot of other clubs do too.
None at all regrettably because he has probably never heard of us and our manager, but I bet he has heard of Benitez - so why not the Toon. No choice really is there?
Our best hope hinges on Newcastle being destroyed by a meteor or a monster earthquake. We did very well to get Kodija, but I think to get another we would need to go under the radar, and Les jouers francais are very much under the microscope at the moment (thanks to Kante, Payet, etc)
