Manuel Pellegrini hopes to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to the 22-year-old’s signature.
Manchester City are plotting a £30 million bid to sign Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala when the transfer window re-opens in January.
Mangala was strongly linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium in the summer and revealed the Premier League club had failed with a late approach to prise him away from the Estadio do Dragao before the transfer deadline.
Porto mothballed City’s bid for the France international as there wasn’t enough time to source an adequate replacement, forcing boss Manuel Pellegrini to push through a deal for Atletico Madrid veteran Martin Demichelis instead, only for the 32-year-old to suffer a serious knee ligament injury just three days after his arrival.
Pellegrini is set to make another bid to sign the 22-year-old in the new year but will have to fend off interest from Spanish giants Barcelona, along with that of Premier League rivals Chelsea and cross-town foes Manchester United to obtain his signature.
Mangala has a £40m release clause in his contract but the Daily Star understand the Chilean is prepared to pay an initial fee of £30m with the rest to follow in clauses and add-ons.
If you’re unsure as to why City are interested in signing Mangala, watch him eat strikers for breakfast in the video below.
Video from serebotnatv
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