Arsenal have recently signed a couple of players from Manchester City.
The Gunners bought Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City during the summer of 2022, after Pep Guardiola deemed the pair surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal also signed Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea last August, who the Citizens sold to the Blues for £50m in July 2022.
Now, Mikel Arteta wants to sign another former Manchester City player as Arsenal enquire about Aymeric Laporte.
Arsenal ask about Aymeric Laporte
Spanish news outlet AS now state that Arsenal have ‘come calling’ for the Spain international as he enters the final year of his contract with Al Nassr, who purchased the 31-year-old from Manchester City in a £23.5m deal last August.
Laporte earns a whopping £390,000-a-week in Saudi Arabia, but Arsenal have still made an enquiry as Arteta looks for a new central defender to provide depth behind William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
AS add that Aston Villa, Inter Milan, Napoli, Marseille and Athletic Bilbao also have an interest in signing the man born in Agen.
Aymeric Laporte could be available on a free transfer
Arsenal would have to shell out a lot of money on the Al Nassr No.27 to meet his wage demands – unless he takes a significant pay cut – although there may not be any transfer fee.
TalkSPORT recently claimed that Al Nassr could terminate Laporte’s contract as they aim to get his £390,000-a-week wages off the salary bill, which would surely put Arsenal and Aston Villa on red alert if it happens.
Why Aymeric Laporte left Manchester City
Laporte was unhappy to be playing at left-back under Guardiola for the final two years of his time at Manchester City.
The Arsenal target told Marca: “I’d been playing for two years in a place that wasn’t the position I wanted to play.
“When a year or two years go by and you don’t play in the right place for you, it’s a bit frustrating because you don’t show your best. I was used to playing as a centre-back and not so much on the wing. It’s just not the ideal position for me.”
