The winter transfer window has been opened, and La Liga giants Barca, who have underperformed in the first half, will be one of the busiest teams in the winter window. Following the reintroduction of meritorious right-back Alves and Spain international Ferran Torres, Barca's third signing under Xavi has also surfaced.
On January 5, Beijing time, from the British media "Daily Mail" news, after signing Ferran Torres, Barca hope to continue to poach Guardiola's team, they want Manchester City defender Laporte. City are willing to release the Spanish international, but the defending Premier League champions hope Barca will trade with Dutch talent Frankie De Jong.
In Barca's current centre-back position, Pique is long out of his peak form, and Umtiti, Lenglet and others are embarrassed. Harvey needs to bring in a new world-class centre-back, and the 27-year-old Laporte is undoubtedly a very desirable target. As a signing from Manchester City who spent €65 million in January 2018, Poulter has once again been a key member of Pep Guardiola's backline this season after falling out of favor last season.
However, in order to consolidate his position in the national team, Laporte is also willing to return to La Liga to play. Due to the financial crisis, Barca are unlikely to pay directly for the funds needed for the Laporte deal. British media revealed that after Barca revealed their interest in Laporte, Manchester City will be ready to discuss the possibility of Frankie De Jong and Laporte swapping owners.
It is reported that Guardiola admires De Jong very much and he hopes to bring the Dutch international to the Premier League. Since joining Ajax in 2019, De Jong has made 115 appearances for Barca. He is also one of the finest young midfielders in football. However, at this stage, De Jong's growth in Barcelona has encountered bottlenecks. So although De Jong and Barca still have a 5-and-a-half-year contract, the possibility of him swapping owners with Laporte in the winter window does exist.