Aymeric Laporte has emerged as a new transfer option for Barcelona in the upcoming January transfer window as the La Liga outfit search for a new centre-back, according to a new report.
Barcelona manager Xavi is said to be on the hunt for another centre-back already, after Gerard Pique played his last game for the Spanish club this week.
A recent suggestion has claimed that the top priority as Pique’s replacement at Camp Nou is current Athletic Bilbao and Spain defender Inigo Martinez.
Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on the player as a potential free transfer when his current deal expires at the end of the current season.
Barcelona could try to push for a low-cost deal in the upcoming January transfer window, but if things were to get tough, it’s now suggested that Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte would be their plan B.
This is according to a report by the Spanish newspaper Sport, translated and relayed by Sport Witness, which suggests that Barcelona officials admire him a lot.
It is further highlighted how relevant officials within Camp Nou believe the City centre-back is at a perfect age to ‘invest in’.
It’s not the first time the Catalan club have been interested in Aymeric Laporte, and the player may have been open to a move months ago when game time was hard to come by amid the good form from John Stones and Ruben Dias in the 2020/21 campaign.
Last year, some felt Laporte was attracted to the option of joining Barcelona, but it seemed impossible for a financial deal to be agreed between the two clubs, and a player swap didn’t materialize either.
However, Barcelona have made it clear that Inigo Martinez is their number one target.
Although, given their financial troubles, they are not prepared to pay full price for his departure in January, given that he will also be a free agent this summer.
Aymeric Laporte would undoubtedly be the most expensive option but Sport’s report reveals he is a signing ‘with more clout’.
The Spanish international centre-back’s current contract at Manchester City expires in the summer of 2025, and while it also suggests the Premier League champions would demand a hefty fee for the player, a new deal for him in the months and years to come. come also cannot be ruled out.
Laporte spent four years at Manchester City, having signed in January 2018 with Spanish club Athletic Bilbao, halfway through Pep Guardiola’s second season at the helm.
The 28-year-old arrived at Manchester with a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising defenders, and certainly proved it by winning four Premier League titles during his spell at Sky Blue.
Laporte has missed Manchester City’s pre-season tour of the United States and the early stages of the current season, after undergoing surgery for a knee injury sustained towards the end of last season.
After recovering and making three Premier League appearances so far this season, Aymeric Laporte will hope to be part of Spain‘s 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar, which is due to be announced in the coming days.
