Champions to swoop for young French stopper.
Premier League title holders Manchester City are set to step up their pursuit of Porto centre-back Eliaquim Mangala this week despite initial target Mehdi Benatia declaring that he wants to leave Roma, according to the Daily Mail.
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City consider Benatia an alternative to France defender Mangala although both have expressed a preference to join Chelsea.
Manuel Pellegrini is determined not to pay over the odds for the 23-year-old but have not walked away from the deal just yet, according to reports.
Mangala found himself one of the most sought after centre-backs in the world recently following his rise to prominence over the past two seasons in Portugal, but Porto are hoping to hold out for as much as they can get for his signature.
City haven keen to add some more defensive options to their back line this summer as injury and loss of form to fringe players saw the club threaten to lose pace on their title challenge.
Should City complete the move for the young Frenchman, it will surely clear the path for one of their Premier League rivals to make a move for Mehdi Benatia after he attracted some heavy interest of his own following an impressive campaign in Serie A.
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