Manchester United and Real Madrid are going head-to-head for the signature of Athletic Bilbao's central defender Aymeric Laporte. The 20-year-old France Under 21 international has been on  United's radar for the past couple of seasons - with their well-documented defensive problems yet to be solved. But with Pepe getting older and Sergio Ramos debating a new contract, Madrid have made the first steps to taking him to the Bernabeu. Real Madrid and Manchester United are both interested in signing Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte Laporte has been on United's radar for the past couple of seasons as they look to bolster their defence
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Aymeric Laporte has a buyout clause of £31.5million
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Twenty-year-old central defender is a France international
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Real Madrid see Laporte as a possible replacement for Pepe
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United  will have to make a world-record bid to sign PSG's Marquinhos
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Transfer news LIVE: Click here for the latest updates on Laporte and more
Elsewhere, United have been warned they may have to break the world record fee for a defender after also enquiring about Paris Saint-Germain defender @placeholder.