Aymeric Laporte offers himself to Barcelona with €15m release clause

Hupu Football News | July 22

According to Catalunya Radio, Spanish international centre-back Aymeric Laporte has proactively offered his services to Barcelona, expressing a strong desire to play for the club.

Laporte, a key figure in Spain's defence, helped the national team win the World Cup this summer. His individual performances and experience in major tournaments have been widely recognised. The defender returned to La Liga last summer, moving from Al Nassr to Athletic Bilbao, but is now open to leaving and considers Barcelona his priority destination.

Catalunya Radio reports that Laporte's representatives held direct contact with Barcelona president Joan Laporta at a hotel in Dallas, USA, conveying the player's willingness to join. President Laporta was in Dallas to watch the World Cup semi-final between Spain and France, which provided the opportunity for the meeting.

The player's camp also disclosed that Laporte's contract with Athletic Bilbao includes a release clause of €15 million — a fee within Barcelona's current financial capacity. The existence of this clause makes the transfer technically feasible; once Barcelona makes a decision, they can complete the signing by activating the release clause.

President Laporta first thanked the player for his self-recommendation and expressed appreciation for Laporte's abilities and professional attitude. However, he clearly responded that the club must currently prioritise other positions, especially the centre-forward role, which is the primary tactical reinforcement.

Nevertheless, Barcelona does not rule out adding a centre-back this summer, but it requires selling an existing centre-back first to free up salary space and registration slots. This sale plan depends entirely on potential offers for Barcelona's centre-backs in the transfer market; the club will assess the timing after receiving suitable bids.

As it stands, Laporte's intention to join is clear, and the release clause amount is within Barcelona's reach, but the final transfer still awaits progress in the club's player clearance. Barcelona's management will decide whether to proceed with this deal after evaluating the centre-forward signing progress and the possibility of selling a centre-back. Laporte's side will remain patient, waiting for further signals from Barcelona's internal decisions.

Source: X Posted in Shanghai Reads: 205