Manuel Pellegrini has admitted Eliaquim Mangala, who cost Manchester City £42m last summer, was under consideration to be a loanee as part of Nicolás Otamendi’s transfer from Valencia.
The Argentinian arrived on Thursday for £32m but Mangala has impressed so far this season in City’s opening two victories. The Frenchman was part of the defence that kept clean sheets in the 3-0 wins over West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea.
Yet Pellegrini said: “There was a lot of talking about different options. The option that we wanted was to bring Otamendi here so Otamendi is here. There can be a lot of options but finally I decide that Mangala must stay here.
“I was never happy with the centre-backs that I had – [this was] not a change of mind in the last moment. I tried to buy a centre-back from the beginning of this new season. For different reasons we couldn’t buy before. Always in my mind was to bring in a centre-back this year.”
The manager revealed he is unable to choose Otamendi for Sunday’s visit to Everton because of the impressive form of Mangala and Vincent Kompany. “In this moment, in the way we are playing, it is impossible to move Kompany and Mangala from their positions and all the rest of the players,” said the Chilean. “They are in a good moment. We did not concede one goal in the last two games. We continue playing with the same.
“We needed a centre-back. We analysed different options and decided that Otamendi was the best option. He will be a very important player. I think he is a very good player, he is improving. I know him when he played in Porto with Mangala, both of them against Málaga in the Champions League. Last season with Valencia he had a very good season. He is improving every year. He is a good header. That is important here in England.”
Asked what Otamendi’s arrival might mean for Mangala, Pellegrini said: “We have another centre-back with Mangala, with Kompany, with [Martín] Demichelis. We have Jason [Denayer] also. We will see what happens with him. This season with the amount of games we must play it is important to have four centre-backs.”
Pellegrini agreed he has the option now of operating a back three should he wish. “When you have good players you have possibilities,” the Chilean said. “This year it is important first to have the best two options, seeing their performances. The players always have their best performances when they have important competition inside the squad.”
Denayer might now go on loan. “We will talk with him, with his agent,” said the manager. “He improved a lot last year playing one year with Celtic. We will see now where he will go or if he stays here. We will decide in the next weeks.”
Pellegrini shrugged off the notion that City are title favourites following their strong start. “I manage inside the squad because no one is thinking what will happen in May,” he said. “We have just played two games. We have played very well. It is important to continue, important to have a gap against the big teams, but remember last year Chelsea had a gap of eight points against our team and in January we are in the same position [on New Year’s Day].”
City’s Argentinian full-back Pablo Zabeleta is out for up to six weeks because of a knee injury.
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