Translated by

Interfering in technical matters: what is the truth behind Mendy's dismissal from Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia?

The Senegalese star, a legend within the fortress of trophies

Édouard Mendy's future at Al-Ahli has become a talking point in Saudi Arabia this week. Reports claim the club want to move the Senegal goalkeeper on during the ongoing summer window, even though he remains under contract with "Al-Raqi".

The speculation runs deeper than a simple desire to sell. Talk of internal disputes and Mendy's handling of certain team matters has put his name firmly in the Al-Ahli corridors, raising plenty of questions about what is really going on inside the club.

Accusations of interfering in technical matters
The most intriguing account concerns Roy Pedro, Al-Ahli's sporting director, who wants Mendy out. He believes the goalkeeper is interfering in technical matters that go beyond his role as a player within the team.
Read also.. How is the Saudi transfer market controlling the Rodri and Barcelona deal?
According to Tribuna, Mendy's situation had nothing to do with his performance on the pitch. It stemmed from the way he handled certain matters relating to the team, opening the door to talk of ending his time with Al-Ahli despite his contract running on.
All of this remains speculation for now. Neither Al-Ahli nor Mendy have issued any official statement confirming a direct dispute between the two parties.

Getty Images Sport
Mendy's move sparks controversy
Mendy, by contrast, spoke to several experienced, senior figures in the Al-Ahly dressing room about what the squad needed during the summer transfer window, according to the same source.
Those conversations centred on the team's needs, above all in midfield. A number of players had urged the management to sign a new foreign player capable of shoring up the area after Franck Kessié's departure.
That is where the debate started. Was Mendy's involvement simply a natural chat between team-mates and a leader within the dressing room, or had he genuinely overstepped the mark for a player? The question now sits at the heart of the talk surrounding his future.
Al-Ahly settles the controversy
The Saudi newspaper "Okaz" told a completely different story. Edouard Mendy is a red line within Al-Ahli, the paper insisted, and the goalkeeper is staying put until 2030.
That flatly contradicts the reports claiming the management want rid of him. It also hands Mendy far greater stability heading into the new season.

So which is it? One account speaks of a fallout over interference in technical matters. Another swears he is staying until 2030. Mendy's position remains murky for now, with neither Al-Ahli nor the player himself offering an official word to settle the debate and end the speculation over the future of one of the team's most important players.