Manchester City made Eliaquim Mangala the most expensive defender in the history of British football after paying £31.9million to sign the French centre back from FC Porto.
Mangala’s protracted move to the Premier League champions finally went through on Monday with his transfer fee eclipsing the £30m deal that took Rio Ferdinand from Leeds to Manchester United in 2002.
Mangala, 23, became City’s sixth signing of the summer after agreeing a five-year deal, and manager Manuel Pellegrini is confident that one of the most highly rated defenders in Europe will prove to be well worth the money.
