Manchester City want Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao, despite broken leg

• Pep Guardiola looking to strengthen new club's defence
• Release clause of £39.6m for 21-year-old France international

Posted Thursday, April 21, 2016 by theguardian.com

Manchester City want Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao, despite broken leg
Athletic Bilbao's Aymeric Laporte, left, does battle with Barcelona's Luis Suarez.

Manchester City are going ahead with plans to make Aymeric Laporte one of Pep Guardiola's first signings despite the Athletic Bilbao centre-half being ruled out until August with a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

Guardiola has identified Laporte among the players he wants to bring in this summer – a list that also features Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund – and sees the 21-year-old as an upgrade on Martín Demichelis, who will leave on a free transfer, at a time when there are also concerns about Vincent Kompany's recurring injury issues.

With Demichelis coming to the end of his contract, Kompany missing several chunks of the season with calf problems and the persistent doubts about the suitability of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolás Otamendi, Guardiola is adamant that City need to bring at least one more centre-half to the Etihad Stadium.

Laporte's chances of playing in the European Championship finals this summer were ended last month because of the injuries he sustained in an under-21 game for France against Scotland, but City are still trying to negotiate a deal for a player who will turn 22 in May. It will not be cheap, with Laporte's release clause reputedly worth £39.6m, but there are so few high-calibre centre-backs on the market this summer there is an acceptance among the more financially powerful clubs that players operating in that position will be more expensive than usual.

City have been monitoring John Stones's potential availability at Everton, acutely aware that both Chelsea and Manchester United would like to tempt him away from Goodison, but Guardiola's belief is that Laporte can play at the highest level for the next 10 years. Laporte has captained France at every level from under‑17s to under-21s and there have been reports in Spain about Barcelona wanting to take him to the Camp Nou.