Athletic Bilbao have confirmed Aymeric Laporte, the defender targeted by Manchester City, has signed a new four-year deal – with a release clause of €65m (£52m).
The 22-year-old Frenchman was highlighted as a priority target by the incoming Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola this summer but appears destined to remain with his current club until 2020 with a release clause which will rise to €70m in 2018.
Despite suffering a broken ankle while on duty with the France under-21s sides in March, Guardiola hoped to line Laporte alongside either current captain Vincent Kompany or current Everton centre-back John Stones next season.
It now seems that Laporte will be off limits to Manchester City, and the club will have to look elsewhere for a defender- as the signing of a new contract was announced by the Spanish club on twitter last night.
City Midfield Bolstered:
One transfer that has been confirmed however is that of the capture of Borussia Dortmund midfielder İlkay Gündoğan, who will hope to recover from a knee injury in order to start the Premier League season with the Sky Blues.
The 25-year-old Germany international said: “I hope to be fit by the end of August or first week of September. You can’t be absolutely sure and we have to gauge it week by week but that’s my target and, if everything goes to plan, it will be August.
“I may miss a couple of matches but that’s fine because I want to be ready for when I play my first game.”
