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Manchester United could do with defensive reinforcements ahead of the new season, given the departures of Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans.
The injury records of Luke Shaw and Matthijs de Ligt are also concerning, while Lisandro Martinez could also be set for a positional change.
But given the need to strengthen up top, Ruben Amorim is unlikely to have a lot of wriggle room for a new centre-back, which explains the radio silence regarding the club’s pursuit of Jarrad Branthwaite.
It is likely INEOS will consider a low-cost option, and Football Espana have relayed that the Red Devils have joined the race for Al-Nassr’s Aymeric Laporte.
Aymeric Laporte wants to return to Europe
United fans will remember him well, from his time with Manchester City where he won six Premier League titles and a Champions League.
‼️ ¡El Chelsea se interesa por Laporte! El defensa tiene ofertas de Manchester United, Femerbahce, Galatasaray y Nápoles.
❌ A día de hoy, NADA del Athletic.
ℹ️ Información de @nicorodrigz pic.twitter.com/ymzcCHIWKr
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) June 5, 2025
The Spain international is looking for a way out of the Saudi Pro League after spending two seasons with Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, and he is prioritising a return to Europe.
While his former club Athletic Club were looking at a potential cut-price €10 million deal for the 31-year-old, Al-Nassr will try and recoup as close to the €27 million they paid for him in 2023.
The report suggests the 20-time English league champions have presented their offer to the defender’s agent, while Chelsea have joined the race as well.
Laporte has offer from United
The likes of Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Napoli are also monitoring proceedings with interest.
“Chelsea are interested in Laporte! The defender has offers from Manchester United, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Napoli.”
His winning mentality could be worth adding to the United dressing room, but INEOS have refrained from stop-gap deals since coming in.
Aymeric Laporte has struggled in the Middle East, which has also seen him lose his place in the Spanish national team. For the fee being quoted, it makes little sense for United to pursue his signing.
Feature image Stuart Franklin via Getty Images
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