Aymeric Laporte

[The Richard Wright Fan Club]

I seem to remember @tolmie's hairdoo saying he was a bit of unicorn for Txiki in one of the previous Windows and he was dead set on pushing it over the line.

Hasn't Pellegrini subsequently come out mate and said we planned to sign a central defender during this summer window? These were his comments after the Otamendi signing, something which was in play well before Stuttgart?

They were certainly trying to sign the lad Laporte back in early June and Abdul Rahman.

And I have PM's on here asking me about Otamendi well before that after Manuel met with the player at the Argentine training camp during Copa America.

In actual fact, Jorge Mendes isn't even Otamendi's agent. He was only brought in to help facilitate his move away from Valencia because it was getting nasty - again, well before Stuttgart.

In terms of Pogba, however, your info may well be correct. The flow of info from Mino stopped around the last week in July.

It's just the two players you reference might not be mutually exclusive in terms of the timelines.

That was posted on the Pogba thread back in August.

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

M.E.N reporting he has a £39.4mil release clause.......going off these highlights.....get it done City! 21years old?...wow, looks quick, strong and very confident on the ball...

 

[g180aj]

That was posted on the Pogba thread back in August.

I think @tolmie's hairdoo described Laporte as Txiki's pet project at some point between March and June. If my memory serves me correctly.

 

[BlueKlaude]

M.E.N reporting he has a £39.4mil release clause.......going off these highlights.....get it done City! 21years old?...wow, looks quick, strong and very confident on the ball...

39 million is hell of a lot for a player in a position which we really dont need a new signing. We have more dire places, like fullbacks and central midfield to improve... Otamendi, VK, Mangala and Denayer is a good 4 cbs.

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

39 million is hell of a lot for a player in a position which we really dont need a new signing. We have more dire places, like fullbacks and central midfield to improve... Otamendi, VK, Mangala and Denayer is a good 4 cbs.

I'm no expert mate but I think City tried to loan out Mangala in the summer because they not happy with his development since he arrived.....I think this guy could be everything we hoped Mangala was going to be.....At 21 he's already looking like one of the best in europe...I agree fullbacks and central midfield need to be top of our shopping list.....Gundogan and Laporte would be a good start to the summer tho! ; )

 

[BlueKlaude]

I'm no expert mate but I think City tried to loan out Mangala in the summer because they not happy with his development since he arrived.....I think this guy could be everything we hoped Mangala was going to be.....At 21 he's already looking like one of the best in europe...I agree fullbacks and central midfield need to be top of our shopping list.....Gundogan and Laporte would be a good start to the summer tho! ; )

I can agree on that tho... Just that Laportes 40m price tag isnt going to stop us from signing any of the more necessary players that we nee more

 

[Dax777]

39 million is hell of a lot for a player in a position which we really dont need a new signing. We have more dire places, like fullbacks and central midfield to improve... Otamendi, VK, Mangala and Denayer is a good 4 cbs.

I don't know if I agree with that statement. Sure, we can reel off 4 names in that position. But this season has been below par at CB overall. So saying a position we don't need is overstating how solid we were all season.

 

[BlueKlaude]

I don't know if I agree with that statement. Sure, we can reel off 4 names in that position. But this season has been below par at CB overall. So saying a position we don't need is overstating how solid we were all season.

We have issues at the back cuz of the lack of coverage from the midfield in a proper system, which Pellegrini is at fault for.

 

[stablemcfc]

I'd argue CB is one of the positions we least need to be in the market for. Most assume (& I hope) we'll say bye to MDM & replace with Denayer; leaving us with 4 competent CB's by anyones standard.

We've got good CB's we just have horrible cover for them (both in front & at fullback) & the system we play exposes them yet further.

Whilst I think Laporte is a good player I don't see him faring any better than the current lot if you just throw him into the current team in place of Otamendi/Mangala; sort out the actual issue & buy some CM's & fullbacks first and foremost before we look at other areas.

 

[BlueKlaude]

I'd argue CB is one of the positions we least need to be in the market for. Most assume (& I hope) we'll say bye to MDM & replace with Denayer; leaving us with 4 competent CB's by anyones standard.

We've got good CB's we just have horrible cover for them (both in front & at fullback) & the system we play exposes them yet further.

Whilst I think Laporte is a good player I don't see him faring any better than the current lot if you just throw him into the current team in place of Otamendi/Mangala; sort out the actual issue & buy some CM's & fullbacks first and foremost before we look at other areas.

+1