From the Mirror’s livevblog on Monday night:
Manchester City are ready to send £40million flop Eliaquim Mangala to Newcastle on loan after landing Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte.
French international centre-back Laporte is on his way to the Etihad after the Premier League leaders triggered the £57million buy-out clause in his contract.
And City are now in talks with Newcastle about allowing Mangala to help Rafa Benitez’s fight against relegation.
Pep Guardiola deemed the 26-year-old surplus to requirements when he arrived at City in 2016, allowing him to spend the season on loan at Valencia.
A £23million deal to sell Mangala to Crystal Palace last summer then collapsed when the Frenchman refused to move to Selhurst Park.
Guardiola has used Mangala this season when injuries to Vincent Kompany and John Stones forced his hand.
But he made signing Laporte a priority after seeing the former Porto defender struggle against Bristol City in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
City will be looking for the Toon to pay most of Mangala’s £80,000-a-week wages after Benitez was given promises about money being made available for new signings.
Eliaquim Mangala (Image: PA Wire)