Manchester City transfer news: Aymeric Laporte 'to sign in the coming days'

The Frenchman has been coveted by the four-time English champions since March

Aymeric Laporte is close to joining Manchester City (Getty Images)

Manchester City are reportedly confident of wrapping up a deal to sign Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte this week.

The Frenchman has been coveted by the four-time English champions since March and is considered by Pep Guardiola to have the desired qualities to tighten up a defence which conceded more goals than any of City's top-four rivals last season.

Guardiola has already secured the signature of Borussia Dortmund midfielder İlkay Gündoğan this summer and Marca reports that Laporte will be next in at the Etihad, once terms have been agreed on a contract expected to run until 2019.

The Independent understands that City are longstanding admirers of Laporte, with a serious ankle injury sustained on France under-21s international duty not enough to quell their interest in the player.

The France Under-21 international was not considered for the European Championship in France as a result of injury. One positive for City is that Laporte’s agents are Ivan de la Pena and Carles Puyol, the former Barcelona players who featured for the Catalans’ youth side at the same as Txiki Begiristain, City’s current sporting director, starred for the first team.

The north west giants have also been linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba but city rivals Manchester United are understood to be in pole position should the Frenchman elect to leave Turin this summer.