Top 10 breakout stars of 2017

Benjamin Mendy

Mendy will return to action soon

Before Virgil van Dijk signed for Liverpool in January, Benjamin Mendy became the most expensive defender in the history of the game when he moved to Manchester City from Monaco for around €57.5 million in the summer.

It was a transfer that capped a stellar rise for the left-back, who played only one season at Stade Louis II, having emerged as a promising prospect at Marseille. Nevertheless, no-one could have imagined the manner in which he would explode over the course of 2017.

He was an unlikely attacking piston in Leonardo Jardim’s side, for whom he spent the first half of the year bombing forward relentlessly and delivering the type of high-quality crosses that Monaco’s prolific forwards feasted upon. Little wonder there was such interest from Europe’s biggest sides.

Since moving to City, he has suffered a serious knee injury and is in the midst of an extended period on the sidelines, yet he has started running again as his recovery continues at a pace. During his time off, he has enhanced his reputation as a social media phenomenon, further establishing himself as a cult hero at the Etihad Stadium.

Regaining his fitness must be his primary target in the next few months, particularly with the World Cup looming. If he were to miss out for France, it would be a huge blow.