Manchester City close to signing Athletic Bilbao defender?

Manchester City have reportedly made good progress in their quest to sign long-term target Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao.

The 23-year-old was heavily tipped to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the summer of 2016 but he instead opted to sign a new long-term deal with the Basque outfit.

Despite this, the Citizens have maintained an interest in his services, and according to Marca, the centre-back has reached a verbal agreement with the club over a transfer this month.

The Premier League leaders are expected to trigger the Frenchman's £60m release clause which would make him the second-most expensive defender in history, behind only Virgil van Dijk.

Laporte, formerly a target of Manchester United and Arsenal, is likely to put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal with the Citizens before the transfer window is shut next week.

The 23-year-old has represented France at every youth level to date, and he has stated his ambition of waiting for a senior call-up rather than switching his allegiance to Spain.