Opinion: Ferland Mendy could be the perfect replacement for Marcelo

Real Madrid have endured a turbulent 2018/19 season. There are many serious issues that need to be addressed at the club, with an aging squad being one of them. With Zinedine Zidane at the helm, a major squad overhaul is expected this transfer window. One of the areas of concern is to find a suitable replacement for their veteran left-back Marcelo.

The Brazilian has played under 3 different managers this season and has failed to impress under any of them. Even though Marcelo is one of the best left-backs in the world, he has a tendency to be defensively vulnerable at times. It is also due to this reason why he was dropped under Santiago Solari, with Sergio Reguilon being preferred over him.

Zidane is expected to be given a huge transfer war chest in the summer, and more funds will be made available by the departures of some star players in the squad. With Marcelo on the wrong side of the 30's and with him being constantly linked with a move to Juventus, this might be the right time for Madrid to cash-in on the Brazilian full-back.

Although Madrid have Reguilon and Achraf Hakimi as options, with the latter having an excellent loan spell at Dortmund, they need a full-back who can straight away fill in Marcelo's shoes. When speaking of the best left-backs in the world, there is one name that constantly pops up - Ferland Mendy.

The Frenchman has been one of the stars in a hugely impressive Lyon side. Mendy has featured a total of 43 times for Lyon this season, while also having 6 goal contributions. At just 23 years of age, he can be the long-term replacement for Marcelo.

Mendy has been fantastic for Lyon this season. He is a talented player with lots of pace to burn and is solid both defensively and in the attack. Mendy also shares some similarities with Marcelo, with the Frenchman having an eye for through-balls and also delivering crosses with tremendous accuracy.

Lyon will be the hub of the transfer market this summer, with a host of their players wanted by Europe's top clubs. With the likes of Nabil Fekir, Tanguy Ndombele, and Houssem Aouar also being linked with a move away for higher prices, Mendy will be in a tough spot for the next couple of months.

Although Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is known to be a rigid negotiator, a price close to €40 million could see Mendy travel to the Spanish capital. For such a talent, a price tag of €40 million can be considered a bargain, especially in this over-inflated transfer market. Can Mendy help Real Madrid regain its dominance in Europe and in Spain? Only time will tell, but he has all the attributes to become a star fixture in the Madrid lineup if he makes the switch to Spain.