Laporte will sign for City in next 24 hours

The British media outlet claimed on Monday that the arrival of Laporte to the Premier League leaders is one step away from being finalised with the Athletic defender reportedly about to sign his new contract in the next 24 hours.

It follows reports that the 23-year-old has already said farewell to his team-mates following their 1-1 draw to Eibar on Friday evening and is currently on his way to England for the final preparations after undergoing all the relevant medical tests at the weekend. 

Pep Guardiola will be looking to push the deal through quickly as he has until midday on Tuesday to register his new signing, if Laporte is going to be included in the squad for their Premier League fixture against West Brom on Wednesday evening. 

It will be a big boost for the 'Sky Blues' defence, who arguably need reinforcements with the unreliability of their skipper Vincent Kompany, although he did feature in their 2-0 win over Cardiff in the FA Cup on Sunday, and the uncertainty over Eliaquim Mangala's ability in the back-line.

The Frenchman has made 222 appearances for the Spanish club, scoring 10 goals, since breaking into the first-team during the 2012-13 season.