Aymeric Laporte of Manchester City. (imago Images)
As per a report by Daily Mail (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester City have put a considerable £60million price tag on Aymeric Laporte. The Spanish defender has struggled for regular starts since last season and the club won’t stand in his way if his valuation is met by a potential suitor.
According to Mirror last week, Aymeric Laporte was linked with a move to Juventus. The Spain international was apparently also offered to Tottenham Hotspur in a deal for Harry Kane, but the Lilywhites turned down the approach. He has seemingly fallen down the pecking order at the club. So, would Pep Guardiola be wise if he lets the Spaniard leave?
No top team should compromise on quality and depth if they really want to challenge for titles on all fronts. Manchester City are certainly one of the outfits that will be looking to win everything put in their way this season. For that, Pep Guardiola needs a stellar squad that he can count on.
And the word ‘squad’ here exceeds just the starting XI, which is why Aymeric Laporte’s situation should be brought under control by the Citizens. The report by Mirror mentions that he has fallen below John Stones and Ruben Dias in the pecking order, which is why he is linked with a move to Juve.
But is having Stones and Dias enough for City? The club had Nathan Ake and Laporte for cover last season as Guardiola started the Englishman and the Portuguese in some of the most important matches, including the UEFA Champions League final. But both Ake and Laporte still saw considerable game-time.
Ake made 13 appearances while Laporte featured in 27 games. This goes to show how much the Citizens were reliant on their squad depth at the back. They would, quite possibly, need a similar line-up of defenders this season if they want to rotate their squad occasionally and provide competition to the first-team players.
Eric Garcia has already left City for Barcelona, leaving Guardiola’s side one defender short for this campaign. Meanwhile, Philippe Sandler has been linked with a loan transfer to Blackburn Rovers.
Amidst this, City would be well-served with at least four senior centre-backs for depth as well as much-needed competition for starts, considering that they will be participating in four competitions. Laporte, at 27, is still in the peak years of his career and his versatility to play as a left-back can always come in handy. Guardiola would, hence, be wise to make sure he stays at City.
