The Spain international lost his starting spot to John Stones and Ruben Dias last season and faces a tough fight to win it back
It was at the start of 2020 that Pep Guardiola described Aymeric Laporte as the “best left-sided central defender in the world”.
But for the majority of 2021, he wasn’t even viewed as the best left-sided central defender at Manchester City.
Now, the centre-back faces an uncertain future, with the 27-year-old set to start the new season as the third choice centre-back
Guardiola has said that ” two or three” players would like to leave the Etihad Stadium before the transfer window shuts at the end of August and while he did not confirm any names, Laporte is believed to be one of them.
A lot has happened since Guardiola lauded Laporte’s return last January, after he had missed four months of the season with a knee injury.
Most notably, City broke their own transfer record last summer when they brought Ruben Dias to the club in a £62 million ($79m) deal from Benfica.
Guardiola had needed a senior centre-back following the departure of Vincent Kompany and Laporte’s lengthy absence only further exposed their shortage in the centre of defence, which is why he also signed Nathan Ake from Bournemouth for £40m ($53m).
At 23, Dias was viewed as a long-term option for the club but his immediate impact took many, including Guardiola, by surprise.
A natural leader, the Portuguese international was instantly vocal in the dressing room and organised a defence that had lost some of its resilience and confidence.
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