Aymeric Laporte explains what he thinks led to Man City exit last year
manchestereveningnews.co.ukAymeric Laporte thinks his Manchester City career could have been different if his injury record had been better. The Spain international was one of Pep Guardiola's first transfer targets at the Etihad and while he turned down a move in 2016 he arrived in January 2018 and would go on to be one of the best defenders in the country the following season as City claimed a clean sweep of domestic trophies.
Laporte won five Premier League titles and a Champions League during his time at the club but struggled to get into the starting line-up last season and left in the summer window to join Saudi side Al Nassr for £23.5m.
Laporte's importance to the City side was unfortunately highlighted during the 2019/20 season when a serious injury he suffered in August saw the team fall too far behind Liverpool in the title race.
Ruben Dias arrived the next summer as a club-record buy as well as the £40m Nathan Ake, and John Stones put together an unbreakable partnership with Dias that year. ALSO READ: Man City get Man United boost over Premier League charges ALSO READ: Man United to appoint Omar Berrada from Man City as new chief executive Despite falling down the pecking order, Laporte fought his way back in and was City's best defender in the 2021/22 campaign as he played through injury in the final games to see them over the line.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk
