According to reports from Spain, new Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde is ready to nab Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte from right under the noses of their bitter rivals Real Madrid. The 23-year-old Frenchman, who Valverde had under his tutelage at the Basque side, is also wanted by the club from the capital but Diario Gol reckons that Barca could be in pole-position to claim his signature.
 

Real boss Zinedine Zidane is a huge fan of the player but President, Florentino Perez, doesn't’t believe him to be a priority signing, preferring to do all out to land Monaco striking sensation Kylian Mbappe; this despite the fact that Portuguese stalwart Pepe has just left the club after ten years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
 

Barcelona are also looking to overhaul their back-line with Javier Mascherano’s erratic form and injury troubles a cause for concern. With another Frenchman, Lucas Digne also failing to impress, Valverde may call upon one of his former charges to kick-off his era in charge at the Catalan giants.