FC Barcelona has set its sights on Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte to bolster its defense following his impressive World Cup campaign with La Roja. The Spaniard formed a solid duo alongside Barca center-back Cubarsi, conceding just one goal throughout the entire tournament.
According to SPORT, Barcelona aims to contact Laporte’s representatives in the coming days or even hours to discover his future plans. As a left-footed and low-cost option, he is suitable for the Catalan-side.
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco followed several matches during his time in the United-States, and was impressed by the level of the 32-year-old. Deco has already held talks with Laporte and they are reported to have agreed to speak again after the World Cup.
Laporte’s performance at the 2026 World Cup reinforced Barca’s desire to sign him, while the chemistry he shared with Barcelona’s defender Cubarsi proved to be one of the main factors in Spain’s World Cup triumph.
Given Barcelona’s ongoing financial struggles and Laporte’s rather affordable €15 million release clause, the Catalan side considers him as the most suitable choice in their quest for a reliable defender.
The former Manchester City defender returned to Athletic Bilbao from Al Nassr last year, where he made 30 appearances with the Basque side. Spain won the just concluded World Cup by impressively conceding just once throughout the whole tournament, and fans are now eager to see Laporte and Cubarsi partner up once again at club level.
