Manchester City sign defender Laporte for club-record fee of 57 million pounds

Aymeric Laporte

Manchester City announced the signing of French defender Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao yesterday in a deal that will reportedly make him the club's record signing. The Premier League leaders announced the signing of Laporte for a reported fee of £57 million on their Twitter feed with the message "Defensive reinforcements acquired!"

Laporte, a France U-21 international, has signed a five-year contract to play under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. "I am very happy to be here. 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. It means a lot that the club have shown faith in me and I am excited to get started," Laporte said.

The fee eclipses the £54 million City paid for Kevin De Bruyne in 2015 and also makes him the second-most expensive defender in the world after Liverpool's £75 million signing Virgil van Dijk.

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