There is one summer signing City fans are itching to see in the famous Sky Blue shirt - and no, don't even mention Super Frank. Eliaquim Mangala was on Manuel Pellegrini's radar for quite some time before a deal was finally reached between the Blues, the player and his former club FC Porto, sending the France international to Manchester for a cool £32m. So far, however, Mangala has clocked up a grand total of 0 minutes and 0 appearances for City, which may be explained by a lack of match fitness but doesn't exactly whet the appetite, especially when the Frenchman's involvement in his country's World Cup campaign is also considered. Put it this way, Mangala got very au fait indeed with a whole host of Brazilian benches during this summer's tournament.

Luckily, the Manchester Evening News offers reasons for City fans to be cheerful about their new defender. Mangala is surely set to make his debut for the Blues soon, after once again warming the bench for his country last week. Whilst his failure to break into the France side is no doubt a big personal disappointment for the Parisien centre-half, City fans shouldn't read too much into it; Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps refuses to even pick Gaël Clichy or Samir Nasri in his squad, so an ommission from the French team sheet is not necessarily a sign of a lack of quality. And as Portuguese journalist Goncalo Lopes told the M.E.N., City fans should be expecting big things from the former Porto star.

(City's new defender is as good as Raphaël Varane according to Goncalo Lopes)

'He is one of the greatest in the world at his age,' Lopes commented, likening Mangala to Real Madrid's Raphaël Varane, who, it could be argued, is currently keeping City's new defender out of the France starting XI.

Lopes puts Mangala's struggles to hold down a starting position with France due to the fact that the player was so desperate to switch to the Etihad last season, the Diarios de Noticas reporter telling the M.E.N. that Mangala '...didn't have a good year last season, because he wanted to leave and Porto wouldn't let him go. This year I believe he will be a starter [for France].' Exactly when Mangala will be a starter for City is still anyone's guess.

Manuel Pellegrini will not let Mangala's price tag or pedigree push him into starting the defender before he is ready; the City boss admitted to Sky Sports' website that Mangala '...will have his time to play, and then it will depend on his performances for the team.' With Martín Demichelis and Vincent Kompany providing a relatively stable defensive partnership for City, it is unlikely that a new centre-back will be tested out in City's 'Week of Doom' - the Premier League Champions face Arsenal and Bayern Munich away and Chelsea at home in the space of eight days. Nevertheless, Mangala is sure to feature soon, and the signs are that he could be just what City are looking for. 

Still only 23, it's exciting to think that Mangala probably has a full decade of top-class football ahead of him. Having already won the Belgian Pro League, the Belgian Cup, two Belgian Supercups, two Primeira Liga Titles and two Supertaça Cãndido de Oliveiras, with Standard Liège and Porto respectively, City's new centre-half will be eager to acquire some English silverware, and justify his status as the most expensive defender ever in British football. Once he gets his chance for the Blues, his partnership with Kompany should live up to expectations  - noted in Portugal for his professionalism, Mangala seems to be built in the same mould as the City skipper, and their eventual link-up is highly anticipated.

(Mangala didn't feature for France at the World Cup in Brazil this summer)

Similarly, Mangala will be playing alongside one very familiar face when he finally dons a Blue shirt; his former Porto teammate, Fernando, has impressed for City so far this season, and together these defensively-minded players could provide the extra security City have so often lacked at the very highest level. 

Lopes, who has spent the past three seasons watching Mangala turn out for the Dragões, does pick up on one worrying aspect of Mangala's game - his '...tendency to go up front and forget [his defensive duties].' Unfortunately, City have far too many other players with a similar predilection - Aleksandar Kolarov being the prime example - so any errant positioning is something Pellegrini will want to eradicate as soon as possible.

Demichelis may be a cult hero, but Mangala is obviously the future for City; Nastasic is still struggling to find consistency at this level, Boyata only seems to be at City for quota purposes, and Sagna will only ever be cover at centre-back; a permanent position alongside Vincent Kompany is Mangala's for the taking. Despite talk that he'd rather play for City's rivals, Mangala seems excited about the prospect of playing in the Premier League, and as the M.E.N. reports, City fans should be excited about seeing him too.

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About the author
Emma Whitney
Freelance football writer and Manchester City enthusiast, hooked since Jamie Pollock's own goal. Obsessed with the beautiful game and David Silva. Still expecting City to lose to York away.