Laporte ‘wants to join Barcelona’ even though he would face ban from playing

MAN CITY star Aymeric Laporte reportedly wants to leave the club for Barcelona.

However, he could face a challenge to play for the LaLiga giants with the club unable to register new players.

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Laporte wants more playing time after dropping down the pecking order at the Etihad, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The report also suggests that his “priority” would be a move to Barcelona.

The Man City defender would fit into the team as a natural left-sided centre back which is a position the club are lacking in.

And the outlet says that the club are aware of his desire and that manager Xavi would be in favour of adding him to his squad.

However, a move could prove difficult due to the Catalonian side’s financial difficulties.

The club have effectively been hit with a transfer ban this summer because of their inability to rein in costs.

Barca have spent wildly in recent years and tried to balance the book by effectively mortgaging future TV and other incomes by selling off a stake in the club.

LaLiga chief executive Javier Tebas, speakinging at the FT Business of Football summit in London, confirmed: “Barcelona doesn’t have any room in its budget to spend in the upcoming transfer window.

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“Barcelona has been involved in questionable behaviour which has had an impact on LaLiga – and we are acting accordingly. We have ruled that they can no longer sign more players.

“We have strict economic controls. At the end of each window, we tell all the clubs in LaLiga what they can spend.

“They have to reduce their investment in players and we have encouraged them to sell players because for every amount they raise in sales they can spend 40 per cent of that.”

This means that if he was to join Barcelona, the club would not be able to register him and he could find himself in footballing limbo.

So, in that case, Laporte will have to make the decision whether to stay at Man City and wait for Barcelona to be able to sign him or aim for a different club to join.