The Ligue 2 striker was on the Sunderland's radar last summer but will now join Montpellier on a three-year deal
Alexandre Mendy, the powerful forward who was on Sunderland’s shortlist last summer, has completed a move to Montpellier – one year after a potential switch to Wearside collapsed in the final days of the transfer window.
Mendy, 31, was high on the Black Cats’ radar the summer after the 2023-24 campaign following a prolific spell at Caen, where he became the club’s all-time top scorer. Sunderland held a serious interest in the Guinea-Bissau international as they searched for a clinical frontman to spearhead their Championship promotion push. But a deal was never finalised and ultimately fell through late in the window.
Speaking at the time, Mendy admitted the breakdown of the transfer left a mark. “100% recovered? No, despite everything, there are some after-effects,” he told French media. “After-effects of what happened in the past, and also everything tied to my family and the packed boxes from this summer.”
He added, jokingly regarding the failed move to Sunderland: “The furniture is reassembled, but the boxes are not yet unpacked. There are a lot of boxes to go through, but right now we’re concentrating on football. When there’s a break, we’ll unpack everything.”
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Sunderland eventually shifted their attacking focus elsewhere and signed Wilson Isidor, but Mendy continued to shine in Ligue 2. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with 10 goal contributions to his name in the French second tier before finally getting his move.
Now, the experienced striker has signed a three-year deal with Montpellier following a successful medical. The move marks a return to the south of France for the Toulon-born forward, who will aim to help the club bounce back to the top flight. Mendy currently has 130 career goals in all club competitions to his name so far.
Who have Sunderland signed this season?
The Black Cats have spent heavily to reshape Régis Le Bris’ squad, with playmaker Enzo Le Fée arriving from Roma in a deal worth around £20million, and versatile defensive midfielder Noah Sadiki joining from Union SG for a fee that could rise to £19.5million with add-ons.
They also moved swiftly to land Habib Diarra from Strasbourg in a club-record deal worth up to £30million, while 20-year-old wonderkid Chemsedine Talbi was snapped up from Club Brugge for a similar package of £19.5million.
Alongside Adingra, whose move from Brighton could eventually be worth £20.5million, Sunderland have also added Champions League and La Liga veteran Reinildo on a free transfer following his release from Atlético Madrid.
All told, Sunderland’s transfer spend this summer has exceeded £109million – and that’s before wages, agent fees or signing-on bonuses are factored in. It’s a bold statement of intent from a club determined to compete at the highest level.
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