Aymeric Laporte, the centre-back of Manchester City, has reportedly been given the green light to leave the club if he wishes to, according to a report by Daily Mail. The football club will not “stand in the way” of Laporte, who has had a limited role this season, having started only seven league games.
The 27-year-old player was signed by Manchester City from Athletic Bilbao for a whopping £57m, but the lack of playing time has left him unhappy, and he is keen on moving away. Tottenham and PSG are the two clubs interested in the left-sided centre-back, as reported by 90min. Tottenham has a dire need of a left-sided centre-back, and Laporte could be the decent option they are looking for.
Despite the recent transfers of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Raheem Sterling, whether Laporte will be keen on a move to Tottenham remains to be seen. Laporte has been a key player in Pep Guardiola’s recent success, particularly in the last season, where he played through a pain barrier to help City beat Liverpool to the title. However, a knee injury kept him out of action for a while, resulting in him losing his place in the City team.
A centre-back is high on Daniel Levy’s transfer list, and Tottenham continues to be linked with a number of options ahead of the summer transfer window, including Piero Hincapie, Milan Skriniar, and Bastoni. Laporte is the latest to be linked, and he would certainly be a decent option.
Manchester City has a history of selling to other Premier League clubs, but Laporte leaving the club would undoubtedly be a loss for the team. Laporte’s departure would open up space for other players, and the club may use the funds from his sale to acquire other players that fit better in the team. Regardless of where Laporte goes, it is safe to say that he will be a valuable asset to any team that acquires him.