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When N'Golo Kante left Leicester in 2016, it was right to assume that Nampalys Mendy was brought in as his replacement.

Another diminutive holding player, the 5 ft 6 midfielder arrived from Nice for £10m but has never really hit top gear.

If the Foxes were indeed looking for him to have the same impact as Kante, he's failed in that aspect.

However, he's still been a steady and reliable figure in the middle of the park, often overlooked because of the form of Wilfred Ndidi.

The Nigerian has been sensational since his move from Genk and particularly since Brendan Rodgers walked through the door, he's been one of the best in his position in the division.

As such, Mendy has struggled and his stats this season underline the distinct lack of effectiveness he's had in the team.

It's hard to work out exactly what he brings other than a safety net.

He's not particularly good going forward, whilst his contribution to the defensive side of the game hasn't been too promising. That's evident in the numbers he's averaged per game during the 31 times he featured this term.

Since Rodgers arrived at the King Power he's been extremely out of favour. Under Claude Puel he seemed to be a favourite. Yet the fact he's not played more than 18 minutes in a single game since the new manager walked through the doors is alarming.

Preferring Hamza Choudhury in his position, Mendy's game time has taken a hit.

At the conclusion of the season, Rodgers hinted, per quotes from Leicestershire Live, that he was keen to keep the player, disclaiming that there would probably be interest in him.

However, he must change this stance, particularly if Leicester are to go to the next level and challenge Wolves for a place in Europe over the next campaign.

Rodgers has revealed that he favours playing with two holding players but it would make little sense to keep him should a bid come in.

His performances this season simply haven't been good enough. Ndidi is by far the better player between the two and his numbers are miles ahead of Mendy's. The fact he averages a whopping 3.8 tackles per game compared to Mendy's 1.1 is enough indication.

If Choudhury continues to perform in the way he has, then it could be a long road back to the starting XI for Mendy.