It has been reported that Crystal Palace decided against even trying to sign former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte for £25 million.
This comes from The Athletic, as the 29-year-old has now left the Etihad Stadium to join Riyad Mahrez in Saudi Arabia but at Al-Nassr.
However, it seems like Crystal Palace could have had a slight chance at least kickstart conversations about signing Aymeric Laporte in a shock deal.
Crystal Palace felt £25 million was far too high a fee to sign Aymeric Laporte
Branded as ‘world-class’ by Steph Houghton, the Spanish international remains one of the best centre-backs the game has to offer.
While the treble-winner was a mere squad option last season, he has largely been a mainstay in one of the greatest teams of all time.
And yet, it has been revealed that both Crystal Palace and Juventus gawked at the £25 million asking price set by Manchester City to offload Aymeric Laporte.
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It’s safe to say that this may be one of, if not the most surprising revelation of the ongoing summer transfer window.
Bizarre to see how the Eagles did not do everything in their power to sign Aymeric Laporte
In terms of sheer quality, Aymeric Laporte could well have had a claim for being one of the greatest players to have ever played for Crystal Palace from the get-go.
The five-time Premier League winner is still in his prime and both on and off the ball, he is in the upper echelon of defenders in the world.
How Crystal Palace, who could well battle relegation this season chose not to pay such a reasonable fee to at least try to sign the decorated stalwart is absurd.
It is more than likely that Laporte would have turned down the move.
But mid-table clubs rarely get a chance to even be in the conversation to sign players at their peaks, which makes their lack of interest a shock to say the least.