Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is reportedly keen to move back to La Liga and join either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
In recent weeks, there has been growing speculation Laporte may find a way out of the Etihad Stadium this summer, with a host of clubs reportedly interested in the Manchester City star.
The 27-year-old moved to the Etihad Stadium from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018 when City activated his £57m release clause, and has been a key player for the defending premier league champions in the last few years.
In his first full season, he made 51 appearances in all competitions as Man City collected 98 points in the Premier League and completed a domestic treble.
A knee injury caused Laporte to miss much of the next season and he was then dropped from the starting line-up after a poor performance in a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in November.
In his absence, John Stones struck up an excellent partnership with new signing Ruben Dias as Man City reclaimed the title and reached the final of the Champions League.
City’s season ended with Laporte watching from the sidelines as they lost the Champions League final, cutting a frustrated and desolate figure as John Stones and Ruben Dias continued to be Pep Guardiola’s go-to centre-back pairing.
Laporte, for the first time in his career, found himself out in the cold – he made just 14 starts in the Premier League and three in the Champions League.
So it was no surprise, especially after his watching brief in Porto, to hear whispers that the €45m-rated defender was unhappy and that he was hoping for a move to Spain.
According to 90min, Aymeric Laporte is hoping to head back to Spain this summer after losing his place in the team to John Stones.
The 27-year-old is desperate for a return to La Liga and the chance to play regular football again after a couple of disrupted seasons.
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are both in the market for a new central defender, are monitoring Laporte’s situation and currently have him at the top of their wishlist in this department.
It makes sense that Laporte might now be keen to leave the Etihad Stadium, and he’s undoubtedly good enough to play for Spanish giants Real Madrid or Barcelona
Laporte has made 111 appearances across all competitions for City and has won 10 trophies, including three Premier League titles.
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