Aymeric Laporte Reportedly Feels Manchester City Move Will Boost World Cup Hopes

Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aymeric Laporte reportedly thinks he'll have a better chance of making France's 2018 FIFA World Cup squad if he completes a January transfer to Manchester City.

The Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler noted City have agreed to pay Laporte's £57 million release clause and are set to complete a move for the defender.

The defender is said to feel he can earn a starting spot under City manager Pep Guardiola and convince France head coach Didier Deschamps to hand him a debut in Les Bleus' lineup before jetting to Russia this summer.

Sport journalist Simon Stone recently appeared on BBC 5 live Sport and agreed with reports Laporte wants a move to the Etihad Stadium:

Laporte is yet to earn a senior international cap despite long holding his place as a member of Athletic's starting XI, having debuted for their first team as an 18-year-old in 2012.

Now 23, it's been almost two years since he earned his last cap for France's under-21 team, having climbed the ranks of their youth setup from under-17.

Laporte is motivated to make Deschamps' side for this summer's tournament in Russia but qualifies for the Spain national team as well, having moved to the country at 16 having been born in Aquitaine, a French region not far from the Basque Country.

The Citizens have been linked with a series of central-defensive targets of late, but Bleacher Report's Dean Jones explained why Laporte has been given the green light by the Premier League leaders:

City's defensive ranks were knocked by the hamstring injury John Stones suffered earlier this season, while Eliaquim Mangala hasn't quite gained favour with Guardiola as a reliable backup option.

Persistent injuies and a constant quest for sustained fitness have kept captain Vincent Kompany from featuring regularly in the lineup, and James Robson of the Manchester Evening News recently said an heir is being hunted:

Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Guillem Balague reported Laporte is "likely" to join City this month, the latest investment in a line of defensive upgrades this season following the arrivals of Kyle Walker, Danilo and Benjamin Mendy.

Laporte has already dazzled after five-and-a-half years in La Liga, but the centre-back's motivation to earn international recognition appears to have intensified his desire to become a hit at the Etihad.