Aymeric Laporte

[Kladze]

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.


http://www.goal.com/en/news/596/exc...ity-to-make-35m-move-for-laporte?ICID=HP_BN_1

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

Why would we want a centre back when Denayer and Rekik are coming back from loans

 

[bluetonium]

Thanks for the link, but personally I've never heard of him. If we spend another big amount on a CB this summer I think I'll hurl. Unless we plan on using Mangala as a makeweight then I can't see it, MDM has just signed a one year extension, Denayer looks to be headed back, we have 4 players for 2 positions.

 

[bluechampion7891]

Indeed. It will send a wrong message to denayer. Also hg issues. Also, why would we pay 35m if his buyout is 30m€?

Cant see Bilbao doing business below the buyout clause

Also, isn't ge left footed? Where does that leave Mangala?

 

[pudge]

In before "he's the greatest thing since sliced bread"

 

[Bruun]

Why pay 35m for Laporte when Varanes reported release clause is lower?

 

[BlueDeadHead]

Thanks for the link, but personally I've never heard of him. If we spend another big amount on a CB this summer I think I'll hurl. Unless we plan on using Mangala as a makeweight then I can't see it, MDM has just signed a one year extension, Denayer looks to be headed back, we have 4 players for 2 positions.

Is Denayer looking likely next season? I assume he is going on loan to a real league. I would certainly take Laporte over Boyata as our fourth choice.

The issue for me (as others have mentioned) is that this is another young left footer. Rekik, Mangala, Laporte (Nastastic just left). If this has legs I would love to know what the fuck they are thinking with regard to our LCB situation...seems like we change our minds every season.

 

[bluetonium]

Thanks for the link, but personally I've never heard of him. If we spend another big amount on a CB this summer I think I'll hurl. Unless we plan on using Mangala as a makeweight then I can't see it, MDM has just signed a one year extension, Denayer looks to be headed back, we have 4 players for 2 positions.

Is Denayer looking likely next season? I assume he is going on loan to a real league. I would certainly take Laporte over Boyata as our fourth choice.

The issue for me (as others have mentioned) is that this is another young left footer. Rekik, Mangala, Laporte (Nastastic just left). If this has legs I would love to know what the fuck they are thinking with regard to our LCB situation...seems like we change our minds every season.

So the media say. If he came back here only for us to ship him out somewhere else I imagine he'd be a little upset. At Celtic he has European football and a winning mentality, even if he went to Spain next season it may not be doing much more for him, though I agree Scottish football is generally p*ss poor, but he still needs to turn up and perform, not as if pushing half as hard will be acceptable for him, with either his Celtic teammates or us watching. Plus, we need the home grown factor and Belgium plainly think he's good enough to warrant lining up alongside Kompany and co.

Which leaves us really only with the possibility that we're recognizing a cock up with Mangala and replacing him with someone we think is better and taking a financial hit to do so, which may not be entirely fair on the lad to be honest, and has to beg the question of what the hell is going on in our scouting and management team if we sign a young lad for millions one season and then give up on him less than a year later?

That, or it is a totally fabricated story, and Occam's razor tell us how to deal with this one ;)

 

[LoveCity]

He is excellent, in hindsight the defender we probably should have signed last summer. Not much between he and Varane this season in La Liga.

If City do sign him then they are probably planning ahead, something they have been criticised of neglecting. Demichelis will probably play half as much next season and Kompany... well, we'll have to see with him.

Perhaps this deal is dependent on Denayer's pre-season (and whether he goes back on loan) but it's possible both of them could be in the squad together from the 2016/17 season.

If Laporte doesn't move this summer, he will be a Barcelona player next summer without doubt.

 

[Dax777]

Well! I can't say I don't think CB is a position of need. So at least the front office is seeing clearly and without emotion.