Frenchman’s contract in Oporto runs until 2016.
Big-spending Premier League outfit Manchester City are facing stiff competition from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in the race to land highly rated FC Porto centre-back Eliaquim Mangala at the end of the season, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
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The north-west outfit tried to lure the coveted France international from the Dragao to Eastlands during the recent January transfer window, with City even offering a whopping £35m for the 23-year-old.
However, in the end the two parties were unable to come to any sort of agreement regarding a price for the player, with the Portuguese champions deciding to end negotiations in the belief that they will be able to secure a higher price for their star man come the summer.
And that may well prove to be right if the Portuguese giants are now able to start a bidding war for the Frenchman’s services between two of the Continent’s richest teams.
But with the Parisians having now made contract with Porto to inquire about the possibility of signing the 23-year-0ld next season, City know that they are set for a trough battle to be able to land a player who is currently one of the most sought-after central defenders in Europe.