The blue half of Manchester continues its revolution, with the possibility of French central defender, Eliaquim Mangala on his way out. Since taking over, Pep Guardiola has been revamping the squad as per his vision.
Having taken the time to assess his players, the Spaniard is now looking to keep players who will be able to compete for places in the starting line-up.
The Frenchman arrived from Porto FC in the summer of 2014, for a fee of around £31 Million, which would eventually rise up to £42 million. The Frenchmen has failed to hold down a starting place in the Manchester City starting XI.
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Over the past few seasons, the absence of club captain, Vincent Kompany, due to injuries have led to City to look for cover. As a result, signings of Mangala and Otamendi have followed.
The arrival of Guardiola meant a change of playing style, which requires building from the back and Mangala’s style of play doesn’t align with Pep’s vision. He is yet to feature this term for Manchester City and the Manchester City new boss prefers Stones and Otamendi over Mangala, and with Kompany due to return from injury, Mangala is surplus to demands.
As reported in the Manchester City Evening News, Mangala has been linked to a return to his former club Porto FC on a two-season loan. Earlier, Mangala was left out of the Manchester City Champion’s League squad. Mangala has struggled with the English game and as a result, has made only 47 Premier League starts.
More players to leave City
The clearout at Manchester City has already resulted in Joe Hart’s soon to be finalised transfer to Torino on a season-long loan. Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony also don’t have futures at the club and will most likely not be part of the club at the end of the transfer window.
Nasri, made an appearance last weekend against West Ham United but still hasn’t convinced the new manager. According to reports in the Guardian, Sevilla is one possible destination for the former Arsenal player.
Turkish club Besiktas has also been mooted as a possible destination. Nasri’s career has stalled at City, with him making only 99 league appearances over the past 5 years. Considered a bright prospect, a change of team might actually rejuvenate the player’s career.
The international break doesn’t get over till 10th September, giving Guardiola the time to shape his squad so as to challenge for all the trophies on offer.
