CITY IN A RACE FOR £35m DUO
Pellegrini targets Mangala
TURN TO PAGE 83, COL 3 MANCHESTER CITY were last night in talks over a £35million deal to sign FC Porto centre back Eliaquim Mangala and his team-mate Fernando.
They may struggle to pull off the double transfer before tonight’s 11pm deadline but City are determined to seal the deals no later than this summer.
They have been encouraged by a significant shift in Porto’s position over the last 48 hours after the cash- strapped Portuguese club indicated they are willing to reduce the asking price if it means having the money in the bank now.
City have been tracking Mangala, 22, for some time, knowing the buyout clause in the Frenchman’s contract is £37.8m. Porto value Fernando, 26, at £7m even though the defensive midfielder from Brazil will be a free agent in the summer.
However, it is understood that a joint figure of £35m could be agreed if City are prepared to do business before tonight’s deadline.
That would be another remarkable statement of intent by Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who have taken the Barclays Premier League by storm after spending more than £100m on new signings last summer.
Mangala has interested a number of top clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, but Pellegrini identified the former Standard Liege defender as his top target some time ago.
The City manager has been in the hunt for a new centre back
since last summer, when he failed to sign Pepe from Real Madrid and then compromised by bringing in Martin Demichelis from neighbours Atletico. The uncertainty over the Mangala deal is believed to be the reason why Joleon Lescott’s future at City has been left in the balance. A deal is in place for Lescott to join West Ham, with the England defender desperate for regular first-team football to safeguard his World Cup hopes. Equally, the bid for Fernando will cast further doubt over the City futures of Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia, neither of whom has impressed since arriving in 2012. Meanwhile, Pellegrini is set to be without top scorer Sergio Aguero for Monday’s match with Chelsea at the Etihad after the Argentina striker limped out of Wednesday’s 5-1 win at Tottenham with a hamstring injury. Aguero could face a race to be fit for the Champions League showdown with Barcelona next month.