Benjamin Mendy signs for Lorient after he is cleared of rape and attempted rape

Benjamin Mendy has signed for the French top-division club Lorient five days after he was found not guilty of raping one woman and attempting to rape another.

The acquittals after a retrial at Chester crown court mean the 29-year-old defender has been found not guilty of all of the allegations made against him by six women. He was suspended by Manchester City in August 2021 after being charged by police and was released last month at the end of his contract.

Mendy, who has 10 France caps, last played on 15 August 2021, in City’s Premier League game against Tottenham. He joined City from Monaco for £52m in 2017, a world-record fee for a defender at the time.

Mendy has signed a two-year deal with Lorient, who finished 10th in Ligue 1 last season. The club said he had passed a medical and would be at their training ground on Wednesday.