WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: Aymeric Laporte of Manchester City in action during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City at The Hawthorns on January 26, 2021 in West Bromwich, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
According to Daily Star, Real Madrid are keeping tabs on the situation of Aymeric Laporte at Manchester City. Laporte has struggled for game time this season, with the pair of John Stones and Ruben Dias keeping him out of the side. Real are keen on signing a defender and could look to take advantage of the situation.
Real Madrid are still in limbo over the future of their talismanic captain Sergio Ramos. The veteran defender is in the last 5 months of his contract and could walk out for free at the end of the season, with Manchester United said to be interested.
This could hit Los Blancos as they don’t have ready-made replacements for the 34-year-old. While Raphael Varane is the natural successor, Eder Militao is still getting accustomed to the surroundings.
Since his arrival at Etihad, Laporte has been one of the best defenders in England and Europe, playing important roles in City’s Premier League triumphs in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons. The 2019/20 campaign was a frustrating one for the Frenchman, with injuries keeping him on the sidelines for lengthy spells.
However, this season, Laporte finds himself in an unfamiliar situation of being out of the side. Ruben Dias’ addition has made the side rock solid while John Stones is also having a renaissance in form.
The duo has kept a fully fit Laporte out of the side for a while now. With Real needing a quality defender at the earliest, snapping up someone like Laporte would go a long way towards solving this problem.
The 26-year-old has played in Spain for the majority of his career and is familiar with the demands of La Liga. Having played at Manchester City, Laporte has had enough exposure in the Champions League as well.
A left-footed centre-back with ball-playing abilities, he would be a good fit alongside Raphael Varane.