Barcelona have established early talks with Aymeric Laporte as the Catalan side look to bring in the former Manchester City defender off the back of a superb World Cup winning campaign. According to Sport, Deco has established “very early conversations” during the World Cup with talks ongoing after the tournament.
Barcelona were impressed by the 32-year-old defender's performances throughout the World Cup in North America and will look to pursue the signing of the World Cup winner in the coming weeks.
Laporte currently plays his football for Athletic Club since he returned to Europe after two years and 69 appearances for Al Nassr. Laporte played a significant role in Athletic Club's 12th-place finish, narrowly missing out on relegation by 3 points.
Who is Aymeric Laporte?
The French born defender started his football through the Los Leones' academy before establishing himself in the first team. After Manchester City needed a centre back in January 2018, Laporte made the move abroad for £57 million.
His stint at City was as successful as it could have been. He was a reliable rock in the heart of Guardiola's part of Manchester City's four consecutive Premier League title-winning teams. Laporte made the big money move to Saudi to play for Al Nassr.
However, his return a year ago to Athletic was complicated but eventually made the €10 million transfer to conclude a full circle moment in his career.
How Aymeric Laporte Fits Into Hansi Flick's Barcelona
Laporte is expected to play a similar role as Inigo Martinez did, which saw Barca do the domestic treble in 2024-25 season.
Laporte has shown he complements Pau Cubarsi very well during their stint together for the national team. An experienced centre back with a release clause of €15 million is certainly nothing to ignore.
As Barca look to construct a squad capable of competing on all fronts as they defend the La Liga title for the third time on the bounce. It is understood that the player would love to join the club as his stock in Spain has increased dramatically.
What Laporte Would Bring To Barcelona's Defence
Laporte has won a multitude of trophies throughout his illustrious career including six Premier Leagues, Champions League, Euros, World Cup and two FA Cups.
The Spaniard brings the experience of winning relentlessly from his time in Manchester under Pep Guardiola. As Barcelona look to complete the three peat of league titles, having a player who four league titles in a row is vital for this Barcelona side to beat Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the title race.
The Spaniard is also tactically perfect for the Catalan giants. The left footed centre-back completed 93.5% of his passes, showing his ability to retain the ball from the back which is a trait manager Hansi Flick requires from his centre backs.
Laporte also compliments Cubarsi in the duels as his international teammate won a higher rate of his duels with 58.7%, showing off the two can play at an elite level consistently when the pressure is at the highest it will ever be.
The serial winner also showed his ability to recover throughout the La Liga season with Los Leones. Recovering possession a staggering 3.8 times per 90 minutes, he compliments Cubarsi who recovers the ball 3.46 times per 90 in La Liga.
For context Virgil van Dijk recovers the ball 2.29 times per 90 in the Premier League. Both players have displayed a fantastic ability to regain possession and then retain it when they do so. This is a vital tactical element to Flick's Barcelona side who have won two league titles under the German.
Could Barcelona Complete A Deal For Laporte?
Athletic's sporting director Mikel Gonzalez has warned off Barcelona as they are unwilling to part with an integral starting player.
Gonzalez told 365Scores: “We have not received any contact, nor any official or even unofficial offer from the Barcelona board in relation to the signing of Aymeric Laporte.
"Aymeric Laporte will continue with us and will not leave during the current summer transfer window, because we consider him a key player and an important element within the team”.
