French left-back Ferland Mendy was excluded from Real Madrid's list for the Champions League, being left off the registration for the European competition. Unlike Militão and Rodrygo, who are also injured but kept their places on the squad, Mendy was overlooked.
Mendy's exclusion comes in a context of high salary expenditure for the player at the Madrid club, with the article's title making reference to a "100 million bill." This financial issue is said to have weighed on Real Madrid's decision not to include the defender in the European call-up.
Beyond the economic factor, Mendy was also facing strong competition for his position. Young Carreras and newly-signed Cucurella made the battle for the left-back spot even more complicated, contributing to the Frenchman being left out of the plans for the Champions.
With this decision, Real Madrid demonstrates its intention to reduce costs in the squad, favoring younger and more economical options for the left-back position, while managing the financial impact of the high accumulated salaries over the years at the club.
