Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte is set to travel to England on Monday to complete his club record move to Manchester City.
It is anticipated the Blues will trigger Laporte’s £57m release clause, allowing him to have his medical and complete his transfer.
City manager Pep Guardiola was keen to bring in a new centre-half this month.
The club’s current transfer record is the £55m paid for midfielder Kevin de Bruyne in 2015.
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It would take the club’s spending on defenders since the end of last season to £190m.
Laporte, 23, has played 19 times for France at Under-21 level but is yet to win a full cap.
The unreliability of skipper Vincent Kompany because of injury and Guardiola’s uncertainty over the ability of Eliaquim Mangala had led him to believe an extra central defensive option was required in addition to current first choices John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi.
