What could the excellent young defender bring to the Premier League…?
SEE MORE:
Man United Aymeric Laporte
Arsene Wenger ‘Agrees’ Move that Would See Real Madrid Coach Paul Clement Replace Him as Arsenal manager In 2016
Man United Set to Sign £32m Defender After Agreeing to Trigger Release Clause
Arsenal and Manchester United have been heavily linked in the Express to young French centre-back Aymeric Laporte, and here’s ten things English football fans might not know about the talented youngster.
1) Although Laporte has been with Bilbao since he was 16, he’s actually French. Aged 20, he’s played for every French youth side, and is now a regular for the Under-21s.
2) Laporte is only the 2nd French born player to play for Athletic (who only accept Basque footballers) after World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu.
3) Laporte made his first La Liga appearance on 9 December 2012, under legendary manager Marcelo Bielsa.
4) His excellent performances under the Argentine earned him a regular starting spot, and the no.4 jersey.
5) In early 2013, he signed a new contract which runs until 2016, which has a £32m release clause.
6) In October of that year, he scored the first of his only two professional goals against Getafe.
7) Standing at 6 ft. 2″, Laporte is naturally a centre-half, but has been used a left-back, too.
8) This season, Laporte has been ever-present in Athletic’s La Liga and Champions League sides, making 11 appearances in total.
9) Laporte prides himself on his tackling, composure, and passing – but he has been known to hold on to the ball too long – which could be a particular problem in the Premier League.
10) If Laporte were to arrive for the mooted fee, he’d become the most expensive Athletic player to move to the Premier League, eclipsing Ander Herrera’s £28m move to Man United this summer.
