Damien Duff suggested on RTÉ during Wednesday's Champions League coverage that Pep Guardiola will already have a list of names that he wants signed for City, and will have people working on those deals, and news which is today spreading in the UK media is making Duffer look very knowledgable indeed.
A number of outlets including ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk are reporting that Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign promising Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aymeric Laporte.
Laporte is very highly regarded in Spain and is believed to have the potential to grow into one of the finest defenders in Europe, and news of his apparent agreement with City will likely be very disappointing to Manchester United fans who were hoping the French defender would be the perfect left-footed partner for Chris Smalling.
No fees are mentioned, but it is believed that Laporte has a release clause of around £39 million, which you would have to imagine that Bilbao would insist be paid in full up-front, such is their sternness at the negotiation table.
Manchester City have had serious problems at centre-back due to the injuries suffered by Vincent Kompany this term, and attempted to find a suitable partner for their captain in the previous two summer windows in Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi, who have both struggled to establish themselves in the Premier League, but Laporte represents the type of player that you have to imagine would flourish under Guardiola.
[via MEN]
