Eliaquim Mangala has admitted he is not “100% fit” following his £32m transfer from Porto to Manchester City, the France central defender having taken a post-World Cup break.

On Monday the champions finally confirmed Mangala as their most expensive buy of the summer after a protracted period that began in the January transfer window.

Mangala, 24, joins Vincent Kompany, Sergio Agüero, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Bacary Sagna, Fernandinho, Joe Hart and James Milner as players whose availability for Sunday’s opening Premier League fixture at Newcastle United is in the balance owing to their Brazil 2014 commitments.

Asked if he had trained while waiting for the transfer to be completed, Mangala said: “I went on a run every day and trained in the gym. Holidays are great but if the time is too long, it is difficult to come back. I think that I will need a bit of time to be 100% but it is normal. It is like those who returned to training last week but I will work hard in order to be 100% as soon as possible.

“I am happy now because I will be able to start a new adventure. I will be able to train again. I am really very happy to be part of the team and I will work hard because we have lots of goals and it is very important to start to work as soon as possible.”

Mangala then outlined his reasons for joining City. “First City is a big team in England and they proved it again this year by winning the title,” he said. “Then it is the team that shows me the most interest. I had the opportunity to talk with the manager and the football director and it is also important to have some guarantees when you move to a new club. I had this opportunity to talk and I liked what they said so I signed with City.

“[And] the project and the squad as well.. The squad is great so it will allow me to progress again. I am also someone who likes to win titles and I know that with the squad we have we can do great things.”

Pellegrini has bought Mangala to play alongside Kompany and City’s latest signing was not slow in listing his own qualities. He said: “I am quite a fast defender. I am good in challenges, good in the air. I have the ability to score goals and have done so in the past few seasons. I do not score 10 goals per season but for a defender I get my share from set pieces and I think it can sometimes be a plus during certain games that are more difficult. Set-pieces are really important.

“When I am on the pitch, I always give everything from the first to the last minute. I am the kind of player that comes on the pitch to win. I am not giving away anything, I always fight until the end and I hope that we will win quite a lot of titles this season.”