Laporte to join City on Monday

Manchester City will complete their club record move for Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte on Monday, say multiple reports.

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

BBC, ESPN and Marca are among the publications to state the move will go through imminently, and probably on Monday, after the defender told the Basque club he had agreed a deal to leave.

He is now set to become City’s club 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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