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Antonio Conte wants £55m star at Chelsea: Lure of London may see off Prem rivals
ANTONIO CONTE reportedly wants Athletic Bilbao star Aymeric Laporte snapped up at Chelsea ahead of Manchester City this summer.
Guardiola on Man City's chances: It is in our hands
The Italian is keen to bolster his defence ahead of a return to Champions League football at Stamford Bridge.
Despite the Blues being on the verge of winning the Premier League title, they have struggled to keep clean sheets during 2017.
As a result, attentions appear to have been turned to Bilbao’s centre-half, who almost joined Manchester City last year.
Laporte instead decided to pen a contract extension until 2020 with the La Liga club.
Aymeric Laporte has made 32 La Liga appearances for sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao this season
Conte intends to start the summer by purchasing Laporte
But the 23-year-old had a buy-out clause installed in the deal worth just under £55million, which will increase to £59m from the 2018/19 campaign.
According to ESPN, Conte intends to start the summer by purchasing Laporte.
And while Pep Guardiola is still keen to lure the French defender to City, Chelsea are said to hold the advantage.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola still carries an interest in Aymeric Laporte
The attraction of playing for the soon to be Premier League champions would be a strong appeal.
And living in London instead of moving to Manchester could also apparently prove key in Chelsea beating City to Laporte’s signature.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk is another centre-half Chelsea are pursuing, with long-term replacements needed for John Terry and Gary Cahill.
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