Needing a centre-back in January 2018, it was no secret Pep Guardiola wanted Aymeric Laporte at Manchester City.
The Spanish manager had already tried (and failed) to convince Athletic Bilbao to release their star, and while the French defender remained professional, it almost seemed inevitable.
Finally getting his move, Laporte has impressed greatly since arriving at the Etihad, helping Manchester City win back to back titles in the Premier League.
On top of that, he is the player with most attempted passes in Pep Guardiola’s squad this season, clearly showing he fits his manager’s plans down to a T.
The Catalan knew this would be the case, of course, which is exactly why he was so adamant in his desire to sign Laporte, which he had wanted to do for just under five years.
Speaking to France Football this week, the France national team hopeful said: “Actually, I knew Pep wanted me for a while. Ever since my first season in La Liga, he got a message to me that my profile interested him. And since, we always kept a line open. We spoke from time to time. As soon as he arrived in Manchester, he wanted me to sign.
“It was nice. He had won everything with Barcelona. That team was an incredible machine. Knowing he liked me, speaking from time to time with him, when you’re a young player, it makes the sacrifices you make to progress worth it. When you’re young and someone like Guardiola tells you that, when he doesn’t let go of you for two to three seasons, it’s amazing”.
In all competitions, Laporte made 51 appearances, scored five goals and picked up three assists.
