Manchester City eye €110m double swoop in January after Alexis failure

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Manchester City are eyeing up deals for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred and Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aymeric Laporte this January itself, according to Sam Lee of Goal. The report claims that the Sky Blues are looking to make a statement in the transfer market after missing out on Alexis Sanchez – with the Chilean signing for cross-town rivals Manchester United.

Laporte has a release clause of €65 million, according to the same report, while Fred is valued at €45 million, which ought to bring the total operations to €110m. Funds earmarked for Alexis’ transfer will now be used to bring in defensive reinforcements for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Fred made his senior debut for Brazilian giants Internacional in 2011, and following two solid seasons, signed for Shakhtar in 2013, in a deal worth €15 million.

Laporte spent his childhood in France, before Bilbao’s policy of only signing players linked to the Basque region saw him join their reserve setup in 2010, as a 16-year-old. He graduated to the senior team soon after, and has been a mainstay for Athletic Bilbao ever since.

According to the report, City were initially keen on bringing in Fred in the summer, but given the injury to Fabian Delph, Fred’s ability to deputize as a left-back might make a move in January seem plausible.

Aymeric Laporte had pulled out of a move to join City last season, and was thus no longer considered a target, but City’s failure in completing deals for Virgil van Dijk and Jonny Evans might see sporting director Txiki Bergeristan pay the centre-back’s release clause, although convincing the player to leave his boyhood club might remain a stumbling block.

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Sam Lee exclusively covers Manchester City for Goal, and he has been quite accurate of late, being among the first to report the breakdown of Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester City. Given his track record, it would be fair to assume there is interest from City, although whether the move will materialize in January remains the issue.

In addition, defensive midfield and centre-back are exactly the positions where Manchester City are in need of numbers, so the move makes logical sense.

Aymeric Laporte’s ball-playing ability would be perfect for Pep Guardiola’s side, and with Vincent Kompany on the wane, the Frenchman would be a perfect long-term replacement – alongside John Stones. The Bilbao defender is highly sought after and with good reason.

As for Fred, the Brazilian has been quite important to Shakhtar this season, and given his age, would be another player arriving with his peak years ahead of him. Perhaps the move for Alexis Sanchez breaking down may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Manchester City.

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