Athletic set Laporte €80m valuation amid Barcelona interest | OneFootball

Athletic have set an €80m starting valuation for Aymeric Laporte after his standout World Cup campaign for Spain. According to as.com, Barcelona sporting director Deco enquired about the defender and watched him in Dallas during the round of 16.

Spain’s triumph has lifted market values across Luis de la Fuente’s squad. Cucurella and Grimaldo changed clubs, while Ferran Torres, the forward who ended Argentina’s resistance, featured heavily in rumours.

The Barcelona forward has 11 months left on his contract. PSG are waiting and Atlético are monitoring developments.

Laporte’s case is different. De la Fuente backed the Athletic centre-back, whose understanding with Pau Cubarsí stood out. Club chiefs, recalling his push last summer to return, responded firmly to approaches.

In summer 2025 Laporte and Al Nassr split, but FIFA initially said the paperwork was late, so no transfer arrived. Athletic and the federation appealed, the ruling was overturned and he rejoined eight years after leaving.

Since his Spain debut, and whenever fully fit, Laporte has been a regular under Luis Enrique then De la Fuente. Some critics questioned his World Cup selection, the same voices now praise his level.

Real Madrid were also mentioned, yet Athletic maintained their stance. Laporte has two years left, and at 32 he has 54 caps since Euro 2021. In summer 2024, during his Riyadh stint, he sought a move to Madrid, a rumour that never reached talks.

Source: as.com