Less than five days before the kick off of the new English
Premier League, EPL, Manchester City has announced the signing of France
central defender, Eliaquim Mangala, from FC Porto for a record breaking
£32m.
According to the statement released on Monday, 11 August, 2014,
Mangala becomes the most expensive defender in British football history.
The 23-year old Paris-born Mangala becomes the sixth signing of the
summer for the EPL defending champions, and will quickly re-join his old
Porto teammate Fernando at the Etihad Stadium.
Speaking on his new club, Mangala said: “City is a top club in
Europe. For me, it was an important step to leave Porto and join
Manchester City in order to continue my progress. I want to win titles
and I believe I can do this. I am ambitious and this is why I am here.
“I’m very happy to come to England because for me, the Premier League
is the best league in the world. It is a very intense and very
aggressive competition. There are plenty of goals, so it is also really
nice to watch and I can’t wait to get started!
“The fact that Fernando is here is better because I played with him
at Porto but there is also other players that I know like (Bacary)
Sagna, (Gael) Clichy and (Samir) Nasri.”
Commenting on the new signing, City manager, Manuel Pellegrini said:
“I’m delighted to have added a player of Eliaquim’s quality in the squad
ahead of the new season.
“He is already a fine player but in my opinion, he has all of the
mental, physical, technical and tactical attributes to become one of
Europe’s very best defenders.
“Eliaquim is a player I believe will make an immediate impact in the
Premier League, thanks to his physicality, his reading of the game and
quality on the ball.
“I think he will prove to be a great signing for us.”
Mangala made his France debut in a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in Montevideo in June 2013.
Although included in the World Cup squad, the defender didn’t make it off the bench in France’s run to the quarter-finals.
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