Atletico Madrid considering surprise move for former Manchester City defender | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid are determined to overhaul their centre-back options this summer. Mario Hermoso and Stefan Savic will be leaving as free agents, and suitable replacements are being sought out. They are already closing in on a deal for Real Sociedad’s Robin Le Normand, but he won’t be the only defender arriving at the Civitas Metropolitano.

As per Relevo, Atleti will sign two new centre-backs during the upcoming transfer window, with Le Normand being their primary target. They’ve been linked with Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera of Valencia in recent weeks, but another target is reported to be Aymeric Laporte.

Laporte swapped Manchester City for Al-Nassr last summer, but he could already be on his way out. Athletic Club have been very interested in re-signing the Spanish international, although it’s likely that they will be priced out of a move. This is where Atleti could come in to secure his signature. The 30-year-old would cost €15m.

It remains to be seen whether Laporta is the chosen one alongside Le Normand. He certainly fits the profile desired by Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, which is a left-sided centre-back to replace the departing Hermoso.