Manchester City and Barcelona to get involved in an important swap deal?
According to the Spanish publication Sports Journal, Manchester City and Barcelona could be involved in a major swap deal in which Aymeric Laporte and Sergi Roberto are said to be heading in opposite directions.
Aymeric Laporte, 27, is considering his future at Manchester City after slipping down the defensive pecking order in the plans of boss Pep Guardiola.
More than Man City transfer rumors
Ruben Dias’s summer signing proved to be a revelation at the Etihad Stadium, forming a strong partnership with John Stones at the heart of Manchester City’s defense.
This kept Aymeric Laporte out of the starting XI for most of last season, limiting him to just 14 Premier League starts.
After losing favor with Dias and Stones becoming Pep Guardiola’s favorite defensive duo, Laporte’s situation has apparently gone unnoticed.
He has sparked interest from La Liga giants Barcelona, ​​who could opt for the former Athletic Bilbao star to try and help resolve their defensive weaknesses.
Naturally, the price to sign the recently selected Spain defender will be a problem for the Catalan club, as Laporte has a contract until 2025 at the Etihad Stadium. But Ronald Koeman’s Barca have a plan in place to bring Laporte back to Spain by proposing Sergi Roberto as a heavyweight in any potential deal, Sports Journal Claim.
Sergi Roberto, who has previously been linked with Manchester City, is seen to be in surplus for Camp Nou needs. The full-back has always been admired by Guardiola, who, in fact, gave the Spaniard his Barcelona debut against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League semi-final in the 2010/11 campaign.
Roberto has had a tough season in La Liga, mostly due to injury issues, managing just 15 appearances under Ronald Koeman. Still, Guardiola sees him as an instant reinforcement for his side and the 29-year-old defender would only consider leaving the Catalan giants if he reconnects with the Spanish tactician, The report adds.
Laporte is apparently unhappy that he didn’t play much at City in the last campaign, while Roberto has only one year to complete his contract at Camp Nou. As it stands, a swap deal involving Roberto would be the perfect scenario for the England champions.
Man City, who won their third league title in four years under Guardiola, will aim to refresh their squad after the final Champions League heartbreak. And a player of Roberto’s experience and versatility would be a welcome addition to City’s squad.