Arsenal are considering a move for Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte, following a devastating knee injury to new signing Jurrien Timber, according to Fabrizio Romano.
It is uncertain how long the 22-year-old will be sidelined, but reports suggest that the injury is serious and will rule him out for a lengthy period. Laporte has been identified as a potential replacement for the former Ajax player.
Arsenal’s New Signing Jurrien Timber Limps Off on Debut
Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte Could be Targeted
The Gunners started their season positively with a 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest but were dealt a major blow as their £40 million signing was forced off of the pitch holding his knee. With the Dutch defender likely to face an extended period recovering from his injury, Mikel Arteta’s side have identified a potential replacement for Timber in Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte.
Watch: How Arteta Can Win The Premier League with Arsenal
Romano’s report has revealed that the while “the rumours are true” that the Spanish International is admired by Arsenal for his versatility, it is understood that Manchester City are not keen on selling the defender to last year’s title rivals, despite the fact he is on the market.
Internal discussions will take place in North London to determine whether to make a move for Laporte or to identify new targets for the left side of defence.
Manchester City Defender is on the Market
The 29-year-old who was once key to Pep Guardiola’s side has become out-of-favour, with John Stones, Ruben Dias, and new purchase Josko Gvardiol all preferred. He was once crucial to the side due to his ability to progress the ball on the left side in possession and his quality in stopping attackers regardless of their pace, height, or strength.
Described by Coaches Voice as “a big, physically domineering central defender”, Laporte could offer a desperately needed mixture of physical defending and technical mastery in Timber’s absence.
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Despite Pep Guardiola’s side’s hesitance to sell the centre-back to Arsenal, a deal is not completely out of the question. The City veteran has been available throughout the summer but has garnered a surprising lack of interest. There had been rumours of a potential return to his former club Athletic Bilbao, who sold him for £57 million in June 2018. However, talks with the Basque side have not progressed.
With the market for Laporte surprisingly quiet, perhaps a substantial offer from Arteta’s side could tempt the Cityzens into a deal. It wouldn’t be the first time the clubs have done business in recent history, with the Manchester side offloading Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to the Emirates Stadium last season, despite their important roles in Guardiola’s team the year prior.
With the left-footed centre-back’s experience at Manchester City in a ball-dominant style of play, he would undoubtedly be a great fit for Arsenal and would bring a wealth of experience to the young side.
