Manchester City are prepared to pay the €50 million release clause to sign Aymeric Laporte of Athletic Bilbao.

City has serious concerns over the long-term fitness of Vincent Kompany.

City are understood to be preparing a contract offer for Laporte and his agents – former Spain internationals Carles Puyol and Iván de la Peña – before submitting their bid to Athletic.

Laporte is predominantly left footed, a trait made a priority by Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain. 

His potential signing would take the club’s spending on central defenders over the last two years to almost £110 million, having spent £42 million on Eliaquim Mangala in 2014 and £28.5 million on Nicolás Otamendi last summer.