Although on paper, Barcelona have an abundance of center-backs, most of them are either new to the top level of European football or have not been consistent enough to play for the Catalans. Players such as Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet have been prone to make mistakes and thus Ronald Koeman is looking for more solid options. Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza, the youths of Barcelona, have shown a lot of potentials however, they require an experienced player to guide them and lead them from the back.
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This is where Aymeric Laporte comes in. The French defender who represents Spain at the National level, is currently unhappy with his situation at his current club. Manchester City signed the player from Athletic Bilbao back in 2018 for a whopping fee of 65 million euros, and he enjoyed his first full season with the club thoroughly. His second season with the Manchester side was riddled with injuries and he could only manage to make 20 appearances in all competitions.
Last season was not much better for him as he suffered from muscle injuries again as well as from the Coronavirus. This along with the signing of Ruben Dias, made his playing time even less. He was the first choice over John Stones for a bit however, later Pep Guardiola changed his preferences, and Stones was hailed as the better choice of the two. Laporte did not even start in the all-important UEFA Champions League finals and that may have given him the hint that he is no longer the preferred center-back at City.
Barcelona keen on signing the unhappy defender
The 27-year-old does not want to waste his time on the benches of the Etihad stadium and is thus looking for a move away. According to Sport, Barcelona was one of the clubs that the player wanted to move to when he was at Bilbao however, City was the one who could pay enough to sign him. Now the Catalans once again have the chance to sign him but the deal will be a tedious process considering Barca’s financial situation.
The Catalans can in no way pay 65 million euros, the price City paid for him. However, with the sale of players such as Umtiti and Lenglet, the move could be possible. The Blaugrana could even try to offer one of their own players plus some cash to make the deal go through. Sergi Roberto, a player who has been having a hard time finalizing his contract with Barcelona, could be offered in an exchange deal. Although it is tough, the deal is not impossible as both parties are interested.
Should Barca spend big on signing Laporte?