Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is keen on leaving the club in the summer and is prioritising a transfer to FC Barcelona.
It is further claimed that the two parties have already made initial contacts to inform each other of their willingness to carry out the operation in the summer. However, any move would be subject to Barça’s Financial Fair Play issues being dealt with effectively.
Laporte has been on Barça’s radars for a while now. Links over a move had surfaced in the past few transfer windows but never amounted to anything.
But, there could be a major opportunity for the Blaugrana this summer as the Spanish international is understood to be disappointed with his lack of prominence in Pep Guardiola’s side in England, with the likes of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake being favoured more.
Hence, it is being claimed that Laporte is looking for an exit in the next transfer window and sees a move to Barcelona as an ideal switch.
The Blaugrana, for their part, are aware of the former Athletic Club star’s preference and have already started working in the background over a possible transfer in the summer.
A left-footed centre-half was something that Xavi and the management were keen on signing before next season. Athletic Club’s Inigo Martinez is a player that they were looking at but his age and fitness had raised some concerns.
That, coupled with Laporte’s potential availability, has led to Barcelona reducing their interest in Martinez and focusing on the Manchester City ace.
There has been contact between the club’s sports department and Laporte’s entourage to affirm each other’s interests in the move. However, at the same time, the move would only be feasible if City let him leave for an affordable fee and the FFP issues at Barça are resolved.
After all, La Liga president Javier Tebas recently warned Barcelona that they might not be allowed to sign any players unless their wage bill is drastically reduced.
Manchester City, for their part, have been happy to let players leave if they do not wish to stay at Etihad. So, Laporte, whose contract runs until 2025, could be allowed to depart as long as Barcelona’s offer is deemed acceptable.
The operation is at a very nascent stage and it will certainly be interesting to see how things progress in the coming weeks. Apart from Laporte, Barça also hold an interest in two other Man City stars in Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.
