Aston Villa eye sensational raid for Man City star with Tottenham plans handed damaging setback

Tottenham may struggle to sign Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte after it emerged Aston Villa will provide them with competition for the transfer.

On May 12, former Villa Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor urged Tottenham to solve their defensive issues by landing Laporte from City. And it seems Tottenham recruitment chiefs were listening to the pundit.

Reports soon revealed how Spurs had decided on the five-time Premier League champion as an ideal summer signing.

Earlier this month, 90Min revealed how the North London side had put Laporte, Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Wolves’ Max Kilman on a shortlist of potential arrivals.

Laporte is thought to be available for transfer this summer as he wants to be playing week in, week out, rather than having to sit on the bench under Pep Guardiola. Laporte made 24 appearances in the season just finished, whereas he would like to play at least 40-50 times each campaign.

City are already preparing for life without the 29-year-old and are aiming to sign Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Citizens have agreed personal terms with him, though they will have to pay a massive €100m (£86m) to get Leipzig to sell.

READ MORE: Aston Villa submit offer after learning high-pedigree defender Emery trusts can join for astonishingly low fee

Football Insider have now provided the latest information on Laporte. Spurs’ plans could unravel as it has been claimed Unai Emery wants the defender at Villa Park.

Laporte ‘ticks a lot of boxes’ for Emery due to his experience playing at the highest possible level and the fact he can operate on the left side of a centre-half partnership.

Aston Villa and Tottenham want Aymeric Laporte

There is no mention of how much Laporte may cost Villa, although it will take a relatively big fee as his City contract runs for another two years. The good news for Emery though is that Villa will likely have the funds to match City’s demands.

The main problem for Villa will be convincing Laporte on the move. He has regularly won trophies at City and ideally wants to continue playing in the Champions League next term.

Villa cannot quite offer him that, as they have only qualified for next season’s Europa Conference League. In order to get the Spain international to join, Emery will have to contact him and outline his ambitious plans for getting Villa into the top four.

In a boost for Villa, they should find it easier to convince Laporte to join them than Spurs. After all, Spurs did not make any European competition as they only finished eighth in the Premier League last term.

Laporte is not the only Prem star Villa are eyeing up. They are also in the frame to sign exciting winger Crysencio Summerville, and he has recently told Leeds United he wants to leave to keep playing in the top flight.

And Summerville could be followed to the West Midlands by one of his Leeds team-mates amid a promising update for Villa.