Barcelona identify Manchester City centre-back as possible transfer option for 2023

Aymeric Laporte has emerged as a new transfer option for Barcelona in the upcoming January transfer window, as the La Liga side look for a new central defender, a new report has claimed.

Barcelona coach Xavi is reportedly already looking for another central defender, after Gerard Pique played his final game for the Spanish club this week.

A recent suggestion claimed that the clear priority as the replacement for Pique at the Camp Nou is current Athletic Bilbao and Spain defender, Inigo Martinez.

Barcelona are claimed to have been keeping an eye on the player as a potential free transfer, when his current contract expires at the end of the ongoing season.

Barcelona could try and push for a low-cost deal during the upcoming January transfer window, but if things were to get complicated, then it is now suggested that Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte would be their Plan B.

This is according to a report from Spanish newspaper Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, who suggest that Barcelona officials admire him a lot.

It is further highlighted how relevant officials within the Camp Nou believe the City centre-back is at a perfect age to ‘make an investment in’.

It is not the first time that the Catalan club have shown interest in Aymeric Laporte, and the player may have been open to a move several months ago, when game-time was hard to come by amid good form from John Stones and Ruben Dias in the 2020/21 campaign.

Last year, it was felt in some quarters that Laporte was attracted by the option of joining Barcelona, but it seemed impossible for a financial agreement to be made between both clubs, and a player swap did not materialise either.

However, Barcelona have made it clear that Inigo Martinez is their number one target.

Although, given their financial issues, they are not willing to pay a high price for his departure in January, considering he will be a free agent in the summer too.

Aymeric Laporte would undoubtedly be the more expensive option, but the report from Sport reveals that it is a signing ‘with more weight’.

Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City.

The Spain international centre-back's current contract at Manchester City expires in the summer of 2025, and while that would also suggest that the Premier League champions would command a high fee for the player, a new deal for him in the coming months and years cannot also be ruled out.

Laporte has spent four years at Manchester City, after signing in January 2018 from Spanish club Athletic Bilbao, midway through Pep Guardiola’s second season at the helm.

The 28-year-old arrived in Manchester with a reputation as being one of Europe’s most promising defenders, and has certainly proved that by winning four Premier League titles during his time in Sky Blue.

Aymeric Laporte

Laporte missed Manchester City’s pre-season tour of the United States and the early stages of the ongoing season, after he underwent surgery for a knee injury sustained towards the back end of last season.

Having now recovered and making three appearances so far in the Premier League this season, Aymeric Laporte will be hoping to make the 26-man Spanish squad for the World Cup in Qatar, which is due to be announced in the coming days.