City set for €70m Laporte

Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte is set to complete a move to Manchester City this week in a deal totalling €70m, say numerous reports.

The 23-year-old defender has a €65m release clause at San Mames while Diario AS say a further €5m will be included due to the Basque club’s development rights for the player.

Cadena Cope report he will travel to Manchester this week to complete his move to the English Premier League leaders, making him the club’s record transfer and the world’s second most expensive defender, after Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk.

Laporte’s release clause at Athletic will increase to €75m this summer and City see him as their preferred target over other options such as Jonny Evans or Inigo Martinez, of Real Sociedad.

Barcelona were previously linked to the Athletic central defender before their agreement for Yerry Mina.

The former France Under-21 defender has made 222 first-team appearances at San Mames but with the emergence of central defenders Unai Nunez and Yeray Alvarez, his significance may perhaps become diminished.

Tags Aymeric Laporte Manchester City
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