Aymeric Laporte believes that his tenure at Manchester City could have unfolded differently had he maintained a more favorable injury history.
The Spanish player was among the initial transfer objectives of Pep Guardiola at the Etihad. Although he declined a transfer in 2016, he eventually joined in January 2018. Subsequently, he emerged as one of the top defenders in the nation throughout the following season, contributing to City’s successful acquisition of all domestic titles. Laporte secured five Premier League crowns and a Champions League triumph during his tenure with the club. However, he encountered difficulties in securing a spot in the starting line-up last season, prompting his departure during the summer transfer window to join Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr for a fee of £23.5m.
The significance of Laporte to the Manchester City club became evident during the 2019/20 season when a severe injury he sustained in August resulted in the team falling significantly behind Liverpool in the title pursuit. Ruben Dias joined the club the next summer as the most expensive purchase in the club’s history, along with Nathan Ake for £40 million. That year, John Stones formed an impenetrable partnership with Dias.
