Manchester City to make €35m move for Laporte
The Premier League champions have scouted the France Under-21 international several times this season and have identified him as a key defensive target ahead of a summer rebuild.
Manchester City have identified Athletico Bilbao centre-half Aymeric Laporte as a key defensive target ahead of a planned unprecedented summer of spending.
Goal revealed earlier this week that the dismal defence of their Premier League title will prompt City to embark on a dramatic overhaul of their first-team squad in the close season, with as many as 14 players potentially set to leave the Etihad Stadium.
Laporte, a France Under-21 international, has been watched several times by City scout Rob Newman this season, while the club’s director of football Txiki Begiristain is understood to be a keen admirer.
City believe they are capable of securing the services of the talented defender for around £25 million (€35m), well below the £30m (€42m) buyout clause which was included in the contract the 20-year-old signed last June.
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