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Pep Guardiola is giving serious consideration to handing Eliaquim Mangala a lifeline at Manchester City.

The £42m centre back was among a host of rejects City hoped to offload this summer.

But they have so far failed to find a club willing to meet his wages and their £18m valuation.

In the meantime Guardiola has taken a close look at the Frenchman on tour in the US and has been impressed with his attitude.

He is now considering Mangala as a viable option as a fourth centre back, if his attempts to bring in cover for Vincent Kompany, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi prove fruitless.

It’s notable that the 26-year-old has continued to train with the first team throughout the summer, while other players deemed surplus to requirements have worked away from the group as the season has approached.

Among those are Samir Nasri, Jason Denayer and Wilfried Bony, who have all been told they do not figure in Guardiola’s plans.

Nasri, who earned glowing praise from Guardiola on tour, has done nothing to convince the City manager that he has a future at the club.

City’s main issue is finding a club willing to pay their £10m valuation for the French playmaker before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Denayer, meanwhile, is not being considered as an option at centre back.

The preference is still to find a buyer for Mangala, but his chances of staying will only improve the longer City’s search for an alternative drags on.