According to Goal.com, Laporte offered himself to Barcelona during the World Cup, hoping to partner with Cubas in central defense.
The Athletic Bilbao defender was appreciated for his individual ability and outstanding performance representing Spain at the World Cup. However, according to the Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, he is not in Barcelona's sporting management's plans for the 2026-2027 season.
Provided no players leave, Flick doesn't think the team's defense urgently needs strengthening because he has enough options at his disposal.
The German coach also has complete faith in Gerard Martin, viewing him as a potential solution for the left-back position. The squad also includes Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen, and Jorro Araujo, provided the latter doesn't leave, in addition to Koundé and young defender Álvaro Cortés.
Furthermore, sources indicate that Laporte's contract does not include a release clause, meaning that if Barcelona wants to sign him, they must negotiate directly with Athletic Bilbao, whose contract runs until 2028.
However, after the transfer of Nico Williams caused controversy in the summers of 2024 and 2025, Barcelona did not want to get involved in any new trouble, which became an additional obstacle to any attempt to sign Laporte.
The French and Brazilian defender had been on Barcelona's transfer list during Luis Enrique's tenure, but Athletic Bilbao refused to negotiate with the Catalan club, insisting on the €65 million release clause in his contract. Ultimately, Manchester City paid the fee and signed him in January 2018.
During his time in England, Laporte made several attempts to join Barcelona, but the club's financial constraints at the time prevented the deal from going through. He finally moved to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Nassr in the 2023-2024 season.
In September 2025, Laporte returned to Athletic Bilbao to restart his professional career at the San Mamés Stadium.
