Aymeric Laporte is reportedly not interested in leaving Manchester City, handing Barcelona a major blow in his pursuit.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Aymeric Laporte appreciates the interest from Barcelona as he has a deep admiration for Xavi Hernandez. However, the 27-year-old Spanish international has no interest in leaving Manchester City and has politely declined the move to Camp Nou.
Aymeric Laporte joined Manchester City from Athletic Bilbao in a big-money deal in January 2018. Since then, the defender has come leaps and bounds, establishing himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe while also breaking into the Spanish national side.
To date, the 27-year-old has made 128 appearances for Manchester City, chipping in with nine goals and three assists along the way. However, after falling behind John Stones in the pecking order in the 2020/21 season, speculation had been rife about Laporte’s future at the club. Such a situation has kept Barcelona hooked onto him for months.
Barcelona had also attempted to sign Laporte in the summer transfer window before eventually settling on just one addition to the defensive department in Eric Garcia. However, Garcia has flattered to deceive since arriving on a Bosman move, which is why Barcelona’s interest in Laporte has not dissipated.
Gerard Pique’s advancing years can also explain the continued eagerness to sign the Spanish international. At the same time, Samuel Umtiti has been deemed surplus to requirements, while Clement Lenglet has been extremely inconsistent in the past year. So, Barcelona must sign a top-class centre-back to plug the holes at the back.
To that end, the Catalan giants have recently been linked with a raft of central defenders, including Matthijs de Ligt, with Laporte also a viable target. However, the 27-year-old has no intention of leaving Manchester City, thereby handing Barcelona a major blow in his pursuit.
While Laporte is grateful for the interest from Barcelona, he is well settled at Manchester City, especially after regaining his place as the first-choice centre-back this season. So, he is unlikely to depart the Etihad anytime soon, leaving Barcelona scouring the market again for an alternative.