Chelsea + Man Utd Receive Boost In Pursuit Of £36m-Rated Frenchman

As we approach the opening of the summer window clubs will be intensifying their efforts in the transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, more on the future of Eliaquim Mangala.

Chelsea and Manchester United have received a boost in their pursuit of £36m-rated defender Eliaquim Mangala after Barcelona dropped out of the race to sign the Porto ace, according to reports.

Mangala has emerged as one of the most highly-rated defenders in Europe since establishing himself as a first team regular at Porto two years ago following his move from Standard Liege in 2011.

His impressive performances have earned him a place in Didier Deschamps 23-man French World Cup squad this summer while he’d also been linked with a whole host of top European clubs.

Chelsea and Manchester United have been strongly linked with the powerful centre-back in recent months, while Manchester City are another club who are believed to be keeping a close eye on his situation and Barcelona were understood to have had the 23-year-old down on a list of potential replacements for Carles Puyol.

However, the English clubs have now received a major boost with the Express claiming that the Catalans have dropped out of the race for Mangala’s signature after learning of Porto’s £36m asking price.

The Frenchman looks set to leave Porto after declaring he wants to play at the highest level and the player has previously confirmed his preferred option would be to link up with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. When asked about a move to either Man City or Chelsea last month, Mangala said:

“City or Chelsea? Chelsea because it is London,”

“It is true that I love the Premier League because it is a spectacular championship. In January, there were discussions with City, but it fell through because the two clubs could not reach an agreement.

‘Every player wants to play in the biggest clubs. I am an ambitious player and the team that can help me win titles is the one that interests me.

“My goal now is the World Cup. We will see what happens after that. I told [agent] Jorge Mendes that I don’t want to know anything about the transfer window until then.” Mangala is quoted as saying by the Guardian

With Mourinho on the look-out for a long-term replacement for John Terry as well as someone to fill David Luiz’s shoes, a deal could be very-much on the cards. However, the newspaper suggests that United and City haven’t given up hope of luring the defender to Manchester and they will look to match any offer made by Chelsea.

READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news | Man Utd transfer news

New United boss Louis van Gaal is expected to be busy in the transfer market this summer and with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic leaving, he’ll need to bring in at least one new centre-back and Mangala would be an excellent addition.

But for now it looks like Chelsea could be in the driving seat with the player admitting his preference for London and with Mourinho slashing the cash this summer, you wouldn’t want to rule out a move to Stamford Bridge. Although it remains to be seen whether any interested club is prepared to pay Porto’s supposed £36m asking price, which sounds rather steep for a player who hasn’t really proved himself outside of Portugal yet.