Monaco signs right back Benjamin Mendy from Marseille

Marseille's French defender Benjamin Mendy, left, challenges Rennes' French defender Steven Moreira for the ball during their League One soccer match, at the Velodrome Stadium, in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. (Claude Paris/AP)

Monaco has signed right back Benjamin Mendy from French first division rival Marseille on a five-year-deal.

Monaco, which finished third last season, announced the signing Wednesday with vice-president Vadim Vasilyev saying Mendy "is still very young and we hope to help him fulfil all of his potential."

The 21-year-old Mendy played 81 league games and scored two goals for Marseille in three seasons after joining from Le Havre.

He was one of Marseille’s more consistent players last season, when the 1993 European Cup winner finished a lowly 13th in Ligue 1.

Mendy thanked Marseille’s fans in a letter on his Twitter page, saying "I’ll never forget Marseille" adding that "it is a unique club and I hope it gets back to its rightful place among the best in French football."

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