TIL Desk Sports/ Manchester City have signed French central defender Aymeric Laporte from Spanish club Athletic Bilbao, the Premier League leaders said on Tuesday. British newspapers reported that City paid a club-record 57 million pounds ($81 million) for the 23-year-old Laporte who has signed a contract until 2023.
The club’s previous record fee was 55 million pounds paid to Wolfsburg for midfielder Kevin de Bruyne in 2015. “I am very happy to be here,” Laporte said in a club statement. “City are a club with a lot of ambition and they are one of the best teams in Europe.
“I am looking forward to working under Pep Guardiola and trying to help the Club to achieve success. “It means a lot that the Club have shown faith in me and I am excited to get started.”
City coach Guardiola wanted to add another centre back to his squad to challenge Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones with ongoing injury concerns surrounding captain Vincent Kompany.
Laporte, a left-footed defender, was a first-team regular at Bilbao since breaking through in the 2012-13 season and he helped them win the 2015 Spanish Super Cup. He clocked up a total of 222 appearances for the Basque club, scoring 10 goals.
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