Aymeric Laporte: Manchester City defender commits future to the Etihad club amid reports of Chelsea interest

Updated 11/07/2022 at 12:06 GMT

Aymeric Laporte says he is intent on staying at Manchester City amid reports that Chelsea made an approach for the player. The Spanish central defender was a vital cog in the City engine that fuelled their Premier League title win last season, and the former Athletic Bilbao man has made his intentions for the new season clear by refuting any interest to prise him away from the Etihad Stadium.

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Aymeric Laporte will remain at Manchester City after reported interest from Chelsea.

The Evening Standard reported that the Blues had made a move for the Spaniard, despite contrary reports that they were working on another City centre-back, former Cobham graduate Nathan Ake.

Another City player Raheem Sterling looks set to leave for Chelsea, but it seems that Laporte will remain where he is after an interview with RMC Sport.

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"Yes [I am staying this season]," Laporte said. "I'm super happy and fit. The team too. There remains only the common objective - the Champions League - but we will do everything to [win] it this year."

The defender followed up his answer by also ruling out a return to French football.

"For now, that's not the goal.

"I still have three years of [my] contract. I'm happy and the club [are] too."

"I played a lot of minutes [last season]: I am the central defender who had the most [games]. I am a reference and I am very happy that the coach and Manchester City have confidence in me. So why not go on for a long time?"

It was reported last summer that Laporte - a £57 million arrival from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 - was considering his future at City after a lack of game time, owing to the form of John Stones and Ruben Dias, but the Spaniard forced his way back into manager Pep Guardiola's plans to become a mainstay in last season's title-winning side.

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