Football: Manchester City complete Aymeric Laporte signing for club-record £57m fee from Athletic Bilbao

Aymeric Laporte (right) playing for Bilbao in a Spanish La Liga match against Sociedad in San Sebastian on March 12, 2017. The €65 million payout clause he is said to have paid is the highest amount the club has ever received for a player. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

(REUTERS, AFP) - Manchester City have signed French central defender Aymeric Laporte from Spanish football club Athletic Bilbao, the English Premier League leaders said on Tuesday (Jan 30).

British newspapers reported that City paid a club-record £57 million (S$105.3 million) for the 23-year-old, who has signed a contract until 2023.

City coach Pep Guardiola wanted to add another centre-back to his squad to challenge Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones, with ongoing injury concerns surrounding captain Vincent Kompany.

I am very happy to be here," Laporte said. "City are a club with a lot of ambition and they are one of the best teams in Europe.

"I am looking forward to working under Pep Guardiola and trying to help the club to achieve success."

Txiki Begiristain, City's director of football, said: "We are delighted to have signed Aymeric. We have assessed defensive options and he is a player we have admired for a long time.

"With his quality and ability to play out from the back, we feel Aymeric will fit in perfectly with Pep Guardiola's playing style."

Laporte, a left-footed defender, was a first-team regular at Bilbao, since breaking through in the 2012 to 2013 season, and he helped them win the 2015 Spanish Super Cup.

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