Aymeric Laporte turned down Man City move after Pep Guardiola talks
Tuesday 4 October 2016 08:15, UK
Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte says he has no regrets over turning down a move to Manchester City in the summer.
The 22-year-old, who has been called up to the France squad for the first time ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Belarus and Netherlands, revealed that he held extensive talks with City boss Pep Guardiola.
However, Laporte opted to sign a new deal with Athletic Bilbao in June as he recovered from a broken ankle sustained while on duty with France Under 21s in March.
Speaking to French radio station RTL, he said: "How did I say no to Pep? By looking at the pros and cons.
"I spoke with him for a long time, as well as with my club. I also looked at my family, my entourage.
"It wasn't too early. It was just pros and cons - amount of time on the pitch, me recovering from injury.
"These aren't easy things to think about at my age. In the end, I had to make a choice. I did, and I'm happy."
Laporte has played nine times for Bilbao this season, scoring once in a 2-1 victory over Granada in September.
