Chelsea and Manchester United are showing increased interest in Eliaquim Mangala, as his potential move to Manchester City continues to stall.
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Chelsea and Manchester United are ready to hijack Premier League rivals Manchester City’s bid for FC Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala, according to the Express, as the player’s mooted transfer to the City of Manchester Stadium continues to be a protracted affair.
The young Frenchman is one of Europe’s most highly coveted centre backs, having been a rock for his Portuguese club last season, but City did seem to have won the £32 million race for the former Standard Liege man.
With the deal continuing to drag on, however, it seems as though the door has been reopened for Chelsea and Manchester United to reignite their interest in the player as both clubs chase centre backs who can tie down a position in their teams for the long term.
Chelsea have an established pairing of English duo John Terry and Gary Cahill, but with their club captain entering the twilight years of his career and Brazilian David Luiz having been sold to Paris Saint Germain this summer for a whopping £50 million, Jose Mourinho seems keen to bring in another young centre back, possibly as a long term partner for Kurt Zouma.
United, meanwhile, will be keen to replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic with a pairing that has similarly long term potential, possibly as the cornerstone of the Old Trafford defence for years to come.