Aymeric Laporte could be on his way out of Manchester City, after losing his starting spot to Ruben Dias and John Stones. Signed in January of 2018 for a record-breaking fee of £57 million, he played an instrumental role in the City’s title wins of the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons. Although he was signed in January, he was a mainstay of the team that went on to secure an unprecedented 100 points in the Premier League.
However, injuries over the past season and the arrival of young Portuguese centre-back Ruben Dias this season, have seen the talented Frenchman lose his starting place in the team. With the help of the centre-back pairing of Dias and John Stones, the Citizens have kept 24 clean sheets in all competitions this season. This has made playing time for Laporte hard to come by, although he has featured in some cup games and an occasional league game. Various reports state that the 26-year-old is not happy with his reduced playing time and believes he should be playing more, leading to rumours that he might be looking for a move away from Manchester.
For a player of Laporte’s quality, there is certainly no lack of suitors although his transfer fee and wages could prove to be an obstacle to some clubs. Reports out of Italy suggest that AC Milan could be a potential destination for the French defender, with manager Stefano Pioli an admirer of Laporte. According to a report from the Daily Star, Real Madrid could look to bring Laporte to the Santiago Bernabeu, with the future of their star centre back and club legend Sergio Ramos in doubt.
Aymeric Laporte, who is valued at an approximate £54 million, admitted in February that he could soon sit down with head coach Pep Guardiola for a chat about his future. It is certain that with City’s astonishing form in defence this season it will be hard for Laporte to break into the team and might have to be content with a bench role for this season.
Laporte’s contract runs till the end of June 2025 and City fans will certainly hope that he stays. However, if he does not get the playing time he wants, the Frenchman may well be on his way out.
