Eliaquim Mangala's Manchester City career hasn't gone the way either he or the club hoped it would.

Mangala arrived from FC Porto in 2014 for what was initially thought to be a £32m fee, although leaked documents in 2016 showed it was actually £42m.

That means Mangala was the most expensive defender in British history when he joined - but he hasn't had a career befitting that.

His time with City was full of mistakes as he played 25 Premier League games in his first season and 23 in his second.

Then came a loan to Valencia before he returned to City for half a season.

He was loaned to Everton that same year but his total league appearances combined for just 11.

As for the season just passed, Mangala didn't feature at all, making the decision to hand him a new one-year contract in March a strange one.

But things have gotten even stranger with the Daily Mail reporting that City have told Mangala that he can leave for free this summer.

If that's the case, why the new contract?

Perhaps City felt they might be able to get a fee but learned that they couldn't?

Instead, they'll be getting exactly what they would have gotten without the next contract.

One thing we do know is that Mangala's future isn't with City - something everyone would have assumed anyway years ago.

Players like Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones quickly hit levels that Mangala never managed, leaving City with no need for the Frenchman.

Now it just remains to be seen if anyone else can find a need for him.