RC Lens Mercato: Champions League veteran signs for Ligue 2 side

A contract running until June 2027 sees 34‑year‑old midfielder Nampalys Mendy join FC Metz, marking his return to French football a year after his departure from the Sang et Or. The deal gives the former RC Lens player a new platform in Ligue 2 and keeps him in France until at least the summer of 2027.

Mendy was originally brought in by RC Lens during the summer 2023 Mercato to bolster a squad that was competing in the Champions League. His experience in Europe was intended to reinforce Lens’s campaign at the highest continental level.

After two seasons, he left the Artois region in 2025 and became a free agent following the expiry of his contract with Watford. The Senegal international, capped 35 times, therefore arrived on the market without a transfer fee.

Having trained for several days with the Grenats, Mendy signed a one‑season deal that officially runs until June 2027, binding him to the Grenat side for the foreseeable future. The agreement was announced by FC Metz as a key addition to their midfield.

Speaking after the signing, Mendy said: “I am very excited to join FC Metz and really eager to start the season under my new colours. I only have one desire in mind: to get back to Ligue 1 at the end of the season with FC Metz.” The midfielder’s ambition underlines his commitment to help the club regain top‑flight status in French football.

His free‑agent status allows a Ligue 2 club to acquire a seasoned international without a transfer fee, a pattern increasingly observed in the French football market as clubs look to strengthen squads cost‑effectively.