5 central defenders Pep Guardiola should target in the January transfer window

#3 Aymeric Laporte

Considered as one for the future: Aymeric Laporte (R)

You have to be some special player for being amongst the first ‘foreigners’ to play with Athletic Bilbao. Having recently been called up to the French national side, Aymeric Laporte is carving a niche for himself and he’s only 22.

He’s earned rave reviews from all corners of the globe for his performances in the La Liga. He’s got the pace, the height and the concentration to ensure he wins every battle he goes into and he could be the kind of defender Pep would love alongside Nicolas Otamendi.

Laporte will not cheap, however, with rumours that he has a massive €50 million release clause in his contract. If Pep really sees what most other people see in his quality, that sum will prove to be a bargain in the longer run.