Wednesday, 29th August, 2012
Montpellier management assistant Michel Mezy has insisted that the French champions are fully prepared to sacrifice a transfer fee for defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa this summer and would have done exactly the same for striker Olivier Giroud.
The Ligue 1 outfit lost Giroud to Arsenal earlier in the transfer window, something they desperately wanted to avoid but, with the striker having a release clause in his contract, Montpellier were left powerless.
Captain Yanga-Mbiwa is a similarly in-demand player and the defender’s contract at the Stade de la Mosson expires next summer.
Montpellier rejected bids from AC Milan for the France star and are well aware that he may end up leaving for free next summer.
Mezy explained though that the club’s strategy this summer has been to fight tooth and nail to hold onto their stars.
"It has been hard to keep players. We wanted to keep everyone", said Mezy to French radio station RMC.
"That includes Giroud. But he had a clause and that was a card he chose to play. He’s gone.
"Nowadays there is the case of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
"He is a great defender, but we have done everything to keep him, even though it may end up costing us a large amount of money to do so."
Montpellier appear to have an impossible task this season in defending their Ligue 1 title. The club will though taste Champions League football at the Stade de la Mosson.
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