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Real Madrid are reportedly interested in bringing Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer. The Frenchman has struggled with injuries this season and Pep Guardiola is slowly losing faith in the defender.
Laporte was seen as one of the Premier League's best defenders last year, but has been out for a good chunk of this season due to injuries and COVID-19 complications.
His absence from the side has led to the rise of the centre-back partnership of John Stones and Ruben Dias.
Manchester City boast the Premier League's best defense and have only conceded four goals in their last 12 games across all competitions, much on the back of the Stones-Dias partnership.
Now, according to the Daily Star, Real Madrid are ready to bid for Aymeric Laporte. The Frenchman may be willing to leave the Etihad next season if he finds his opportunities limited between now and the end of the season.
Manchester City bought Laporte from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 for a fee of around £57 million.
City would require Real Madrid to make a bid for around the same figure if they want to secure the 26-year old's services in the summer.
Real Madrid are gearing up for a clearout in the summer
Real Madrid will have to get rid of a good chunk of their squad if they are going to make any significant moves in the summer.
The club has been financially hit by the coronavirus pandemic and will have to sell multiple players in order to make a splash in the transfer window.
Players such as Isco, Alvaro Odriozola and Mariano are all on the chopping block, while club legends such as Marcelo and Sergio Ramos are set to leave the Bernabeu as well.
Sergio Ramos in particular would be a huge loss to Zinedine Zidane's side, as the club captain is still one of the world's best defenders.
The Spaniard is in the final months of his contract and is free to negotiate with foreign clubs over a summer move. Laporte will be seen as the perfect replacement for Sergio Ramos if the defender does decide to leave the Bernabeu at the end of this season.
It will be interesting to see if Real Madrid pull the trigger on the move, as the defender's price-tag would be too high for the club's current financial situation.
