Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte has reportedly asked his agents to find him a new club this summer.
The 28-year-old has spent the last five-and-a-half years at the Etihad Stadium, making 175 appearances in all competitions and winning 11 trophies including four Premier League titles.
However, Laporte has endured a frustrating 2022-23 campaign and has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola, with John Stones, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake all preferred ahead of him in the starting lineup.
Laporte missed the first two months of the season due to a knee injury, and he has since started only 14 games across all competitions, including just eight starts out of a possible 34 in the Premier League.
Although Laporte recently dropped a hint to suggest that he would be content with remaining at Man City, it is understood that the Spain international is frustrated with his lack of regular first-team football.
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According to Football Insider, Laporte is keen to reignite his career and has told his agents to find him a new club ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The report adds that the Citizens are willing to listen to offers for the left-footed defender, but they are against the idea of selling him to a Premier League rival.
Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Laporte in recent months and are said to have made an enquiry over his availability ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, a return to Spain appears more likely for the former Athletic Bilbao defender, with Barcelona believed to be one of the frontrunners at present for his signature.
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Laporte is allegedly keen to swap the Etihad for Camp Nou, although it remains to be seen whether Barca can afford to recruit the Spaniard or any other transfer targets this summer amid their well-documented financial concerns.
The Catalan giants have been informed by La Liga president Javier Tebas to raise at least £177m from player sales before they consider entering the summer transfer market.
The likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Roma have also been credited with an interest in Laporte, who is out of contract at the Etihad in June 2025.
Should Man City agree to part ways with Laporte this summer, Guardiola could step up his interest in RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, while Chelsea's Levi Colwill – currently on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion – and Napoli's Kim Min-jae have also been linked with a move to the Citizens.
Oliver Thomas
