Manchester City are reportedly prepared to offload Aymeric Laporte to raise funds for their pursuit of RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol.
The 28-year-old has been a reliable member of Pep Guardiola's squad since joining the Citizens from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018.
Laporte has made a total of 170 appearances for City across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and winning a total of eight trophies including four Premier League titles.
However, Laporte has endured a somewhat challenging 2022-23 campaign, largely due to injury at the beginning of the season, and has been reduced to just six Premier League starts.
The Spain international, who has watched on as an unused substitute in 10 games across all competitions so far this term, is having to compete with four other central defenders in the form of Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji – the latter of whom joining the Citizens last summer.
Laporte is under contract at the Etihad Stadium until June 2025, but according to Sport, the centre-back is keen to leave Man City this summer in search of regular first-team football.
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The report adds that the reigning Premier League champions are willing to part ways with Laporte, with La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid said to have identified the defender as a potential target.
Barca are understood to have held an interest in Laporte for some time, but hopes of luring him to Camp Nou this summer could prove challenging after La Liga chief Javier Tebas recently confirmed that they cannot sign players until they raise £177m.
Laporte's potential exit from the Etihad would allegedly open the door for Man City to step up their pursuit of Leipzig star Gvardiol, who has attracted interest from a host of top European clubs including Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
The 21-year-old has developed into one of the brightest prospects in world football since moving to Germany from Dinamo Zagreb in 2021, elevating his game to new heights for club and country.
The 19-cap Croatia international has featured 75 times across all competitions for Leipzig, scoring four goals including the equaliser in the 1-1 draw against none other than Man City in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie last month.
Gvardiol has recently spoken about his desire to play in the Premier League, opening up on his decision to reject a move to Leeds United in 2020 and expressing his disappointment when a proposed switch to Chelsea failed to materialise last year.
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"I had two options, between Leeds and Leipzig. [Marcelo] Bielsa was the coach and I don't know if you know this but my goal in my career is to play in the Premier League," Gvardiol told The Times.
"I knew that I needed to take a few steps more before I get [to the Premier League] one day. At the end Leipzig is a really good club and I feel good here. It's important I play almost every game."
Gvardiol added: "(Last summer) I was really confused because one month before the window starts I was upstairs with the sporting director and he says, 'Yeah Josko, we are not going to sell you, we need you, we believe in you'.
"I was like 'ok I am fine with this, I can stay here, I like it here, all I need is to work on myself, to play, to win something else,' It was like this until the last two days. My agent called me and said that Chelsea is extremely interested and, of course, you definitely think about a serious offer from a huge club like Chelsea.
"Leipzig said they didn't want to sell me. In the end I really struggled with that decision but we didn't make an agreement. It is what it is. I am here and I am fine with this because my idea had been to stay here. One season was not enough. This is my second season, even one more season would be great but we will see."
Gvardiol is under contract with Leipzig until June 2027, but the defender is understood to have a €110m (£96.9m) release clause in his contract that is due to expire in 2024.
Oliver Thomas
