Man City slap £30million price tag on Aymeric Laporte as Arsenal and Tottenham circle
Aymeric Laporte, the Manchester City centre-back, is reportedly being valued at just £30 million as the club looks to offload him. Last season, Laporte fell down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola and only appeared in 12 Premier League games. The recent signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig for £77 million has made Laporte surplus to requirements. According to The Mirror, Manchester City is now looking to cash in on the defender and has set an asking price of £30 million. This news has attracted the attention of three Premier League clubs, namely Arsenal, Tottenham, and Aston Villa. However, City would prefer to sell Laporte to a team outside of England to avoid strengthening a rival club. This decision may be influenced by City allowing Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to join Arsenal last summer, who came close to winning the top-flight title. Laporte joined City in January 2018 from Athletic Bilbao for £57 million. He has played in 179 games across all competitions, scoring 12 goals. His impressive performances in the 2018/19 season, where he featured in 35 Premier League matches, earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Season.
In a move that will be seen as a statement of intent to their Premier League rivals, Manchester City have slapped a hefty £30million price tag on French defender Aymeric Laporte. The defender has emerged as a major target for both Arsenal and Tottenham, who are keen to strengthen their own backlines.
Laporte has made a big impression since joining City from fellow Premier League club, Athletic Bilbao in the summer 2017. Since then, he has been a major presence at the heart of the City backline, becoming a regular starter and accumulating an impressive 76 appearances over two seasons.
His performances have not gone unnoticed, however, with both Arsenal and Spurs rumoured to have formed a strong interest in signing the 25-year-old. Now, it appears City are keen to ward off any potential suitors by slapping a hefty £30million price tag on their star defender. The move would be a major coup for the club and a powerful statement to the rest of the Premier League, ensuring that any elite club interested in signing Laporte will pay the price for his services.
Whilst neither Arsenal nor Spurs have yet to make a formal offer for the defender, City are braced for the possibility of strong bids to land Laporte, who has so far proven to be one of the most reliable members of their side. Whether or not the two London teams will be willing to meet the price tag is yet to be seen, but with the transfer window closing soon, it could be a race against time to secure the centre-back’s signature.
In any case, Laporte’s value to Manchester City is clear, and with the steep price tag they have placed on him, they appear determined to keep him on for at least one more season.