Manchester City All Set to Beat Rivals to the Signing of Highly Rated Defender
Manchester City's implosion in the English Premier League in 2015-16 after having been favourites to win the title has been down to the inability of their hugely expensive defenders to stamp their authority on games and their error prone performances has now led incoming manager Pep Guardiola to look for reinforcements. According to reports in The Daily Mirror, Manchester City are in talks to seal up a deal for Spanish club Athletic Bilbao's highly rated defender Aymeric Laporte this summer and it is understood that City's representatives have been in touch with the player for some time.
Manchester City made expensive acquisitions in central defence when they bought Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi but none of the two defenders have been able to live up to the expectations and whenever their captain Vincent Kompany has been available, City's defence has struggled to keep out the goals. In such a situation, it is not a surprise that the new manager is looking for new recruitments in the central defensive positions and it is all set to start with the signing of Laporte.
The report states that the club has been in contact with the defender and a £35 million deal could be concluded in the coming days. It is important to point out that Barcelona was also in pursuit of the defender but dropped their interest when he got injured and are now trying to sign Paris Saint Germain's Brazilian defender Marquinhos. Laporte has been one of the standout young performers of the Spanish La Liga and his ability to star play from the back is also one of the big reasons why Pep Guardiola wants to bring him to City. However, Laporte might not be the only defensive addition to Manchester City's squad in the summer since Guardiola is also interested in Everton's highly rated central defender John Stones and the club could be putting in a bid for the midfielder in the summer. Chelsea are also interested in the defender and that could lead to a bidding war.
