France Football reported on Sunday that Eliaquim Mangala could be on his way back to FC Porto, the club where he made a name for himself.
Mangala was highly rated when in Portugal, and Manchester City were among a number of clubs interested in a deal, but the transfer simply hasn’t worked out.
Given the amount Manchester City paid for Mangala, they’ll almost certainly make a big loss when selling him, but a loan could see an even greater financial burden.
France Football say Porto sold Mangala for €54m and are a real option for the French defender this summer.
There’s nothing mentioned about wages, but Porto simply couldn’t get anywhere near what Mangala would be paid. He would have to take a hugely drastic pay cut, much less than half, or Manchester City would have to make the difference up.
There may be some way of balancing the two, but sorting personal terms out on a Porto return is going to be difficult.
