Aymeric Laporte has sparked fresh speculation regarding his future at Manchester City by posting a cryptic message online.
Laporte has been a key member of Pep Guardiola’s squad in recent seasons, establishing himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world since joining City in 2018.
Last season was arguably Laporte’s best in a City shirt, as the Spain international made 44 appearances in all competitions as City retained their Premier League title.
The 28-year-old made himself undroppable thanks to his superb on-the-ball ability, his reading of the game and his more traditional defensive attributes.
However, this season has seen Laporte slip down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium. He has started just six Premier League matches and made a meagre 16 appearances in all competitions.
What has Laporte said?
After Laporte watched from the bench as his teammates recorded an impressive 3-0 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg, he took to Instagram to share a cryptic message.
The Basque uploaded to his Instagram Story a selfie-style video of him driving his car – Laporte periodically looking down at the camera – with the caption: “After the rain, a rainbow; after a storm, the calm; and after an end, a new beginning.”
A number of top European clubs are believed to be monitoring Laporte’s situation, including Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. His current City contract expires in 2025.
What has happened to Laporte this season?
Last season Guardiola described Laporte as “the best left-sided centre-back for build-up play in the world,” but this season has barely played him.
Laporte’s fall from grace has not necessarily been his fault; after playing through severe pain at the end of last season, the centre-back missed the first two months of the new campaign after undergoing knee surgery over the summer.
Guardiola sensibly bedded him in slowly when he became available for selection, but he found an in-form Nathan Ake and summer signing Manuel Akanji hard to displace from the starting XI.
When John Stones and Ruben Dias overcame their own injury issues and started putting together good runs of form, Laporte found himself left behind.
The January ‘blip’ and reshuffle at City did not help Laporte’s cause. Along with Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker, the defender is believed to be one of the players whose attitude concerned Guardiola.
The tactical reshuffle that followed – Guardiola deploying Stones as a holding midfielder that drops to right-back when City are defending – plus the superb form of Dias and Ake, means Laporte has had little chance to win back his manager’s favour.
With two years remaining on his contract, this summer might be the ideal time for both parties to go their separate ways.
