Fabrizio Romano reveals ‘concrete possibility’ of major Man City exit and other transfer rumours

Manchester City are reportedly set for a major exit from their defensive line this summer, with a ‘concrete possibility’ of Aymeric Laporte leaving the club in the coming months.

The 28 year-old has had a very stop-start campaign up until this point for Manchester City, registering just 15 appearances across all competitions under Pep Guardiola, and contributing one assist in the process.

Knee surgery last summer meant the Spain international was absent for the opening matches of the 2022/23 season, while the World Cup break in the middle of the campaign, as well as a recent bout with illness, has seen Aymeric Laporte struggle for consistent game time.

It now appears as though Aymeric Laporte could actively go in search of a new club this summer, in an attempt to hold down a permanent spot as a central defender in the starting XI of a top European side.

Some outlets claimed last week the RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol had been lined up by Guardiola as a replacement for Laporte who had become frustrated at his playing time.

Mundo Deportivo earlier this week claims Laporte is pushing to move to Barcelona at the end of the season. It is claimed that the centre-back has already been in touch with the Catalan club to secure a deal.

Now, according to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, there is a ‘concrete possibility’ of the former Athletic Bilbao man leaving the club in the coming months, with La Liga giants Barcelona among the sides who could show a serious interest should an opportunity arise.

Speaking as part of a wider update on his official YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano explained, “I wanted to speak about Aymeric Laporte, the centre-back, who could leave Manchester City in the summer. This is a concrete possibility for Laporte to leave Man City.

“It’s true that Barcelona have an interest in the situation, they appreciate the player, but at the moment there is still nothing close or concrete. They are one of many clubs appreciating Laporte, not just Barcelona.”

Romano continued, “I am told there are also other clubs keen on signing Laporte, so let’s see what Man City will decide, but I’m told it’s a possibility for Laporte to leave the club at the end of the season.”

Elsewhere, there has been further reports that Manchester City are looking at Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as a target for the summer.

The 22-year-old Georgian winger has been enjoying one of the finest seasons of his career as the Naples club take the top flight of Italy by storm. So far this campaign, Kvaratskhelia has managed 12 goals and 15 assists in a mere 27 appearances and is proving to be one of the standout talents in Europe.

Speaking to the media outlet, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs outlined which teams are taking an interest in one of Napoli’s top talents. He explained: “There’s absolutely no guarantee that Victor Osimhen or Kvaratskhelia will end up leaving in the summer, but there will be demand, and Newcastle and Manchester City are two of the clubs in particular, along with others like Real Madrid and PSG, that are looking at Kvaratskhelia.

“It’s obvious why because ultimately, he’s had a standout season, scoring goals and getting assists for fun. He’s scored 10 goals in Serie A in only 20 matches, and it’s an incredible rise really.”