Frenchman, who can also operate at left back too, has a contract in Oporto until June 2016.
Big-spending Manchester City look like beating arch-rivals Manchester United to the signature of coveted FC Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala this summer, according to exclusive reports in the Daily Mail.
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Both Premier League giants have been keeping close tabs on the highly rated France international all season long, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side even coming close to landing Mangala during the recent January transfer window, only for a proposed £38m double swoop for both the centre back and Porto team-mate Fernando collapsing the very last minute.
However, that setback has not put City off trying to lure the player to Eastlands for next season though, with director of football Txiki Begiristain having been sent to the Estadio do Dragao to watch Mangala in action first hand against Sevilla in the first leg of the Portuguese champions’ Uefa Europa League quarter-final with Sevilla on Thursday night.
And Begiristain will not have been disappointed either with what he saw, as Magala not only marshalled the home team’s back four to keep a vital clean sheet, but he also popped up to head home the only goal of the game too.