Benjamin Mendy joins Ligue 1 club Lorient

Ligue 1 club Lorient have signed Benjamin Mendy as a free agent after he was found not guilty of rape.

Mendy was cleared of one count of rape and one count of attempted rape after a retrial earlier this month.

He was previously cleared of six counts of rape at his initial trial in January.

The left-back, who was a free agent after his release from Manchester City, has now been signed by French club Lorient.

This comes after the French defender was recently spotted at a local kick-about at the Pitts complex in Ardwick, Manchester, for a kickabout with strangers.

An onlooker said: “Mendy turned up and asked some lads if he could join in.

“They couldn’t believe it – getting to play against a Premier League star and a World Cup winner.

“He had a laugh and just enjoyed himself and was happy to shake everyone’s hand at the end and sign autographs.”

City signed Mendy for £52 million from Monaco in 2017 on a £100,000-a-week six-year deal.

But they released him at the end of June, leaving him without a club.

The defender is hoping to restart his career in Europe but could move to Saudi Arabia to rebuild his finances.