| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tudor Olorunninbe Mendel-Idowu [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 January 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Slough, England [2] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Luton Town (on loan from Ipswich Town) | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2023 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2024 | RSCA Futures | 16 | (1) |
| 2024– | Ipswich Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Luton Town (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | England U15 | 2 | (1) |
| 2022 | England U17 | 4 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:54, 24 October 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:34, 30 March 2022 (UTC) | |||
Tudor Olorunninbe Mendel-Idowu (born 15 January 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right winger for EFL League One club Luton Town, on loan from Premier League club Ipswich Town.
Born in Berkshire, England, Mendel was regarded as a child prodigy academically, featuring numerous times in national and international competitions, most notably coming second in the 2014 edition of Child Genius. [3] Mendel attended independent boys' preparatory boarding school Ludgrove School. [3] At the age of thirteen, he was made a King's Scholar at Eton College. [4]
He joined the youth academy of Chelsea at under-8 level, following interest from numerous other clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham. [5] [4] In July 2021, he signed a new contract with the club. [6]
Following the conclusion of the 2022–23 season, with his contract set to expire, Mendel was offered a new deal by Chelsea. [7] However, on 18 July 2023, it was reported by Spanish journalist Albert Rogé that Mendel had rejected this offer, and was close to joining Spanish side Barcelona. [8]
Despite these links, on 27 July 2023, he officially signed for Belgian side Anderlecht. [9] Initially assigned to the club's reserve team, RSCA Futures, Mendel scored on his debut in the Challenger Pro League in a 3–2 win against Dender. [10]
On 3 September 2024, Mendel joined Premier League side Ipswich Town on a permanent deal. [11] He made his debut on 25 August 2026 against Leicester City in the EFL Cup.
On 1 September 2026, Mendel joined League One club Luton Town on a loan deal until January 2027. [12]
Eligible to represent both England and Nigeria at international level, Mendel was first called up to the England under-15 team in 2019. [13] He scored his first England Under-17s goal against Scotland on 8 February in a 3–0 win and followed that up with a further 2 goals in England U17's next game playing as a right winger. He later made substitute appearances against France and Luxembourg in the England U17 qualification games.
Mendel's maternal grandfather is John Adeleye-Abai, who played for the Nigeria national football team as a winger. [4] His paternal grandfather, Dr Fola Kayode Mendel-Idowu, was a gifted academic, who specialised in bio-aeronautics and was Africa's first 'flying doctor'. [4]
| Club | Season | League | National cup [a] | League cup [b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea U21 | 2022–23 | — | — | — | 1 [c] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| RSCA Futures | 2023–24 | Challenger Pro League | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| Ipswich Town | 2026–27 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| Luton Town (loan) | 2026–27 | League One | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 [c] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Career total | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 1 | ||