Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The 27-year-old defender has been remanded in police custody and will appear at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The Crown Prosecution Service stated that Mr Mendy has been charged in connection with allegations of sexual assault relating to three complainants over the age of 16 between October 2020 and August 2021.
Mr Mendy, who joined Manchester City in 2017 for a fee reported to be worth £52m and was a member of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad, has since been suspended by the club.
“Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation,” a statement read.
“The matter is subject to a legal process and the club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete.”
Mendy had started Manchester City’s opening game of the Premier League season on 15 August and was also part of the squad that defeated Norwich last weekend.
