#9 Eliaquim Mangala - €30.50 million
When Manchester City’s spending was restricted by an FFP penalty, they must be wondering why on earth they spent €30.50 million on Eliaquim Mangala of all people! The French international arrived from Porto with a big reputation and a hefty price tag, but what has followed since been nothing but a struggle.
A solid performance against Chelsea on his debut reassured the fans’ trust in the City board’s decision to splurge for the defender’s signature. But that, sadly, was the end of it all. What has followed since has been nothing but a rollercoaster with Mangala enduring a nightmare performance at Hull the following week.
Heading into his own net under little pressure, Mangala couldn’t have imagined his calamitous day getting any worse, not until he was penalised for a horrible high footed challenge on Abel Hernandez.
Mangala’s diabolical positioning sense and vulnerability with the ball at his feet have been caught out far often than not, directly resulting in him being responsible for way too many key defensive errors. A strong and powerful presence, Mangala has age on his side and can yet go on to prove his credentials.
Though, whether it’s at City still or somewhere else remains to be seen.
