Already reluctant to sign Wilfried Bony from Manchester City and flat out rejecting Tottenham’s Vincent Janssen, Marcelo Bielsa allegedly turned down the opportunity to sign yet another Premier League player this summer.
According to L’Equipe, the Argentinean manager was also offered the chance to sign Eliaquim Mangala from Pep Guardiola’s side, who was looking for a way out this summer.
Heavily linked with a move to Inter in the final days of the transfer window, the France international was hoping his loan spell at Valencia last season would have been enough to get him his Etihad exit, but Manchester City stood in his way.
The Italian press repeated time and time again that the Cityzens were after a full sale, or at least a loan with a compulsory view to buy, but that offer never arrived.
Seemingly reluctant to sign more experienced players, Bielsa is also said to have said no to signing former Watford defender Miguel Layun, now at Porto.
Now having to stay at Manchester City until at least January, it seems Mangala will have to make do with sporadic league appearances from the bench, like against Liverpool, or cup games, playing the full 90 minutes against West Brom on Wednesday.
