Football News: Manchester City open to sell key defender this summer

Premier League champions Manchester City are allegedly open to letting Aymeric Laporte go this summer. Laporte has made 172 competitive appearances for the Citizens since coming from Athletic Bilbao in a £57 million deal in 2018.

The Spain international also has 12 goals and four assists to his name so far in the Sky Blues shirt. Moreover, The Spanish defender has played a key role in Man City's last four Premier League titles.

However, his importance in the team has dwindled this season, with only 17 appearances across all competitions. Laporte missed 2 months of action owing to a knee injury this season.

However, his return hasn't pleased Pep for whom the Spaniard has now become the fifth-choice center-back. Pep Guardiola has preferred Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake over the Spain international.

Despite having a contract with Man City until June 2025, Laporte has recently intimated that he may leave this summer in search of regular playing time. According to the Daily Mail, if Laporte decides to leave the club at the conclusion of the season, the Citizens will not stand in his way.

While Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a deal for the 28-year-old,but Manchester City are unwilling to transfer to a Premier League competitor.

Laporte is set to have a lot of overseas options, with La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid showing interest.

Paris Saint-Germain, the defending French champions, have also been connected, as have Serie A clubs Juventus and Roma.

Laporte started Saturday's 3-1 home win over Leicester City, but he is anticipated to remain on the bench for Wednesday's Champions League match against Bayern Munich.

After a 3-0 victory in the first leg last week, Manchester City will fly to Germany with a significant edge in their quarter-final encounter.

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