Eliaquim Mangala reveals how Pep Guardiola bluntly told him to leave Manchester City

Eliaquim Mangala, previously the most expensive defender in the world, has revealed that Pep Guardiola told him to leave Manchester City because he 'wasn't what he was looking for'.

Mangala signed for City from Porto in 2014 for a fee of £32million, with that fee having subsequently been eclipsed by many transfers, most notably Harry Maguire's £80million switch to Manchester United from Leicester in 2019.

The arrival of Guardiola in 2016 led to a significant decrease in Mangala's playing time at City and he had loan spells at Valencia and Everton before eventually departing permanently in 2019.

Mangala revealed that Guardiola's decision not to use him as a regular starter was due to his playing style rather than his ability.

The Frenchman added that he was grateful to have the opportunity to work under Guardiola.

Asked if he felt any disappointment regarding his time at City, Mangala told Get French Football News: 'Not disappointment. Why? Because when he arrived I was told I should leave, that I should find another solution. There was an offer at Inter Milan, but financially it didn’t work.

'At the end of the transfer window, I was still [at City]. At that point, the coach came up to me and spoke very sincerely to me. He said ‘there wasn’t any solution, and you’re here. You have a very specific profile, which in terms of my playing style, isn’t what I am looking for.’ He spoke to me very honestly.

'He continued, ‘but you’re here and we have four central defenders. We’re going to work together, and you’ll be ready to play every match and we have lots of matches, and so you’ll have playing time because there are characteristics that you possess and that I need, that others don’t have.

'You’re a very good player, it’s just that regarding the profile I’m looking for, for my style of play, you aren’t what I’m looking for.’ That was it. I don’t have any problem with that. I can’t be disappointed because the coach knows very what he wants. It’s not about my qualities, it’s about my profile.'

Guardiola promised Mangala that he would receive playing time in cup competitions even though he was behind the likes of Vincent Kompany, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi in the pecking order at City.

He said: 'Now, from that point, I knew I was the fourth-choice defender. There is John (Stones), Nicolas (Otamendi), and Vincent (Kompany). I didn’t play a single match in August. At the end of January, I left for Everton. Between then, I played 15 matches. It’s a huge amount of matches as fourth-choice. He said that when I start, I’ll be ready. I won’t ask mad things from you, but you’ll be ready.'

Mangala joined Valencia permanently in 2019 and remained there for two years.

A short spell at Saint-Etienne followed but the 31-year-old is now a free agent following his departure in the summer.

Mangala believes that clubs could be looking to recruit players due to the break in the season caused by the World Cup.

He said: 'My plan is to find a club and to find a club as quickly as possible. It’s my passion, and I’m motivated to give a lot more on the pitch. Football is where I enjoy myself. I want to be on the pitch. In terms of contacts from clubs, at the minute it is calm.

'Obviously, there is the World Cup coming up as well so it’s a bit of a special year. The clubs are going to see what happens until November. It’s a bit different as well because there are more and more free agents.

'But in terms of the World Cup, clubs will almost have another pre-season, and because of that, clubs could look to take certain players that are on the market. I’m speaking in general terms. So I have the desire, but the circumstances are particular.'

Mangala also revealed how working with Guardiola has inspired him to go into management in the future.

He said: 'Yes. After having played under him, I had more of a desire to become a manager. It isn’t necessarily his playing style, because that can change, but his approach. Why do we play like that? Why make this particular movement and how are we going to do it? How will each player position themselves in relation to the other? It’s this part of it. It’s about the approach that leads things.

'We talk about Pep in terms of what happens on the pitch, but there is also the mental side. Throughout the week there are his speeches, the way he approaches you to keep your feet on the ground. It’s everything, really. The way I received it really opened my eyes.'