Arsenal target Aymeric Laporte fuels transfer speculation on Instagram as he reacts to David Raya's Gunners move

Arsenal target Aymeric Laporte has furthered speculation of a potential move to the Emirates after reacting to David Raya's post on Instagram.

The goalkeeper shared a picture of him signing his deal with the Gunners yesterday.

To this, the Manchester City defender replied with a couple of clapping emojis. Having paid an initial fee of £3 million to Brentford, Raya has joined Arsenal on a season-long loan with an option to buy the player by paying a further £27 million (via Sky Sports).

As far as Laporte is concerned, Mikel Arteta's men are said to have stepped up their interest in the player following Jurrien Timber's injury against Nottingham Forest.

Football London believe that a long-term absence for the former Ajax man, coupled with Kieran Tirnery's potential exit, has increased the chances of signing Laporte.

However, the report further suggests that Manchester City would be unwilling to sell yet another player to Arsenal. The treble winners sold both Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to the north London outfit last summer.

Timber, who was deployed as a left-back in his first Premier League outing for the Gunners, can also play as a centre-back. Should William Saliba or Gabriel suffer from fitness issues, Arteta will need an able defensive replacement. He will also be looking for a player to compete with his first-choice defenders. Therefore, a move for Laporte is certainly on the cards.

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"Mikel is a great coach"- Arsenal target Aymeric Laporte on Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta (via Getty Images)

Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte expressed his pleasure in working with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. The Spain international spent time with Arteta while he was a part of Pep Guardiola's coaching staff at the Etihad.

Currently, Laporte is linked with a move to Arsenal and their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Speaking in 2020 about his relationship with the Spanish tactician, Laporte said (via Football London):

"Mikel is a great coach and, for me, he has been one of the best people I have met in Manchester. He tries to help players all the time, he had a really good relationship with everyone and with me especially."

Should the Gunners meet the Cityzens' £25 million valuation for the defender, the 29-year-old will finish with 180 appearances for Manchester City. He won five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League trophy, among other honors, since joining the club in 2018.