Schalke new boy had Arsenal transfer collapse

OneFootball

Lewis Ambrose·20 August 2018

Schalke new boy had Arsenal transfer collapse

Defender Hamza Mendyl almost joined Arsenal this summer, Schalke have confirmed.

Mendyl ended up joining the Bundesliga club from Lille last week but was close to completing a move to the Emirates Stadium after Sead Kolašinac suffered an injury in pre-season.

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Arsenal were on the lookout for a left-back late in the transfer window and Mendyl was reportedly in London on deadline day to seal a move. However, a delay obtaining a work permit scuppered the deal.

“I think otherwise he would have gone to Arsenal,” Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel admitted when asked about the permit complications.

A 20-year-old Moroccan international, Mendyl made 13 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille last season.