In a recent print edition, Sport has stated that Barcelona have begun preliminary discussions to land Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte this summer. It is believed that the Catalans are prepared to send Sergi Roberto the other way in an attempt to bring the Man City centre-back to the Nou Camp in this off-season (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Laporte’s Solid Form For Man City This Season
Laporte has endured an up and down season at the Etihad Stadium but did well to put in some solid displays at the heart of Pep Guardiola’s defence. The one-time Spain international made 27 appearances for Man City last season, scoring two goals in the process across all competitions.
The Agen-born talent deserves a pat on the back for averaging 0.8 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game in the previous Premier League campaign. He has even been exceptional when distributing possession out from the back after completing 91.1% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Laporte has shown time and time again that he is good enough to play at the highest level week in week out. However, the excellent form of Ruben Dias and John Stones has often kept him out of Guardiola’s first team over the past ten months.
Will Laporte Be The Right Choice For The Catalans?
Laporte can use his strong 1.89m frame to dominate the opposition in the air and win some crucial aerial duels for his side. He is often quick to snuff out the danger and can time his tackles well to earn possession back on the defensive end of the field.
Plus, the Spaniard is exceptional on the ball as he can keep the ball moving without breaking a sweat, so we can expect him to be a good fit for Barca’s style of play at the Nou Camp. Laporte has what it takes to fill Gerard Pique’s shoes at the Catalan club and could go on to form a dominant defensive partnership with his former Man City teammate Eric Garcia in the coming seasons.
There is no doubt that Laporte will enhance the quality of Barca’s backline considerably and could help them challenge for some major trophies in the years to come. Thus, the Spanish defensive ace will be a great choice for the Catalan giants even if they have to give up Sergi Roberto in the process.
