Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is reportedly keen to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer to join Barcelona.
The 28-year-old has made a total of 174 appearances for the Citizens in all competitions since joining the club from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018, winning 11 trophies including four Premier League titles.
Laporte was a first-team regular under Pep Guardiola last season, making 44 appearances, but he has since fallen down the pecking order this term, starting just seven times in the Premier League.
The Spain international missed the first two months of the campaign due to a knee injury, and he has since struggled to force his way into the starting lineup ahead of Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake.
Laporte has only featured in six of City's last 17 games across all competitions since the beginning of February and the defender is believed to be frustrated with his lack of regular game time.
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Laporte recently dropped a hint over his future at Man City when he took to social media to post a cryptic message that read: "After the rain, a rainbow; after a storm, the calm; and after an end, a new beginning."
The defender is under contract at the Etihad until June 2025, but it is understood that he has a 'concrete possibility' of leaving the Citizens, who will not stand in his way if he pushes for a summer exit.
According to Relevo, Laporte feels that his time in the Premier League is up and he is keen to return to Spain, with Barcelona viewed as his preferred destination.
The report adds that Laporte is willing to reduce his salary to join the cash-strapped Catalan giants, who could look to sell Andreas Christensen to free up funds.
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Furthermore, Laporte is said to be without an agent after leaving the Wasserman representation agency in November, and has since held talks with Arturo Canales, who currently represents Barcelona head coach Xavi.
Barca have been strongly linked with Laporte for some time, but it remains to be seen whether they can afford to recruit the Spaniard this summer after La Liga chief Javier Tebas revealed earlier this year that they must raise £177m before they can consider signing new players.
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Roma have also been credited with an interest in Laporte, but the defender is said to have his heart set on a move to Camp Nou.
Should City decide to part ways with Laporte, Pep Guardiola is understood to have identified RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol as one of his primary defensive targets ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
The likes of Chelsea's Levi Colwill, currently on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion, Napoli's Kim Min-jae, Monaco's Axel Disasi and Hajduk Split's Luka Vuskovic have also been linked with a possible switch to the Etihad.
Oliver Thomas
