Why the Time Has Come for Eliaquim Mangala to Justify His Massive Transfer Fee

Free from Uefa's financial fair play restrictions, Manchester City have spent freely and heavily this summer in a bid to revitalise their squad after an underwhelming 2014/15. 

Early indications suggest it has worked. Four Premier League games in and City have a 100 per cent record. The quality of their football has been remarkable. 

Last summer, though, was somewhat different. Having breached FFP rules, the club were hit with a series of sanctions, including a limit on the size of their Champions League squad, a sizeable fine and, perhaps most damagingly, a restriction on their net spend. 

It meant a host of top players who came on to the market were unavailable to City. Angel Di Maria, who went to Manchester United from Real Madrid, is one such example. it's likely City would have looked to sign the winger had they not been limited in terms of their financial muscle.  

One major transfer they did push through, though, saw them sign Eliaquim Mangala from Porto in a deal that cost £42 million. Having just won the Premier League and League Cup in a season that saw them score 156 goals in all competitions, tightening the defence and fine-tuning the squad appeared to be the only real issues facing Manuel Pellegrini, the club's manager.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Vincent Kompany was seen as the key defensive component, but for too long he had been without a long-term partner. Joleon Lescott, who played alongside him in 2011/12 when City won their first league title in 44 years, was viewed as limited technically and had been allowed to leave on a free transfer earlier in the summer.

Matija Nastasic, his replacement signed by Roberto Mancini, was unfancied by Pellegrini, and Martin Demichelis, who had excelled as City won their second title in three seasons, at 33 could not be expected to play every week.

A younger, modern centre-back who could partner Kompany for years to come was what City felt they really needed.

Mangala, who was 23 at the time, was seen as ideal. He fit the profile perfectly. He was young, had impressed in Portugal and was on the cusp of a regular place in France's starting XI. Almost every top club in Europe was thought to be interested, but it was City, placing him at the very top of their list of targets, who managed to secure his signature. 

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It was a difficult first season, though. He often appeared nervous, a situation not helped by the poor early-season form of those around him. Kompany's performance level was beginning to slip (the early signs of an all-out deterioration), and Gael Clichy was struggling badly. It was far from ideal for a youngster new to the Premier League. 

His fee was also bringing added pressure. The British press were highly critical given the price City had paid. He simply couldn't get any momentum, with any good performances quickly followed by a worrying display.

In a revealing interview with the Guardian back in May, he told Daniel Taylor:

"

When you go to a club for a big fee you are always aware the fans expect a lot

I understand that and I understand the reaction if I have received criticism in some quarters. I also have to be brutally honest with myself and say I have not been totally happy with my season.

"

There was an upturn in form towards the end of the season, though. With Kompany's injury alleviating the threat of being dropped, Mangala looked much more settled alongside the experienced Demichelis. It's a run of form he's taken into this season, too. Four games in and Mangala has been superb in every one of them. 

Now he faces an additional threat from Nicolas Otamendi, his former Porto team-mate who arrived at City this summer from Valencia for £32 million. Mangala is in possession of the shirt for now, but he will be aware the spectre of Otamendi, last season's stand-out centre-back in La Liga, looms large. 

Competition for places is to be expected at top European clubs, and Mangala told Anthony Jepson at the Manchester Evening News that he's better placed this season to prove his worth:

"

I have benefited and learned from the difficulties of last season. I must be efficient and consistent through the club season, both in the Premier League and in the Champions League and then when I’m with France, I must give assurance to the coach and then the rest is up to him.

"

Mangala, 24, now faces the biggest season of his career to date. The fans are behind him, and Pellegrini is ready to give him a run in the side, even with Otamendi's arrival. He has the raw attributes to be among the world's best. It's time he showed it on a consistent basis. 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.