The Mirror reckon “City will make a renewed bid to land Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte in the summer.
“Pep Guardiola is refusing to give up on bringing the 22-year-old central defender to the Blues, despite being snubbed by him last summer.
“City had a £39million deal lined up for the Frenchman, only for him to sign a new four-year contract with Bilbao after being set a deadline by Guardiola.
“Laporte now has a buy-out clause of £55m – but that will not put the Blues off as they search for a long-term partner for John Stones.
“And they have been encouraged by the player’s recent admission that he will look at fresh offers at the end of the season.”
Elsewhere, if the Manchester Evening News are to be believed, defensive reinforcements could be on the way for Pep Guardiola long before the summer.
“Holger Badstuber could be set to strengthen Manchester City’s defensive options.
“The Bayern Munich man has been linked with a six-month loan deal at City as he bids to get his career at the Allianz Arena back on track after a spate of injury problems.
“Pep Guardiola is short of bodies in defence and a short-term deal for Badstuber, a man he knows well, could help improve the options at the back as City plot an assault on trophies at home and abroad.
“Badstuber’s contract in Munich is up in the summer, but his current club do not want to sell him. They are willing to let him leave this month, but only on loan, which would put him in an interesting situation come the end of the season.”
