Manchester United and Arsenal rocked in pursuit of £31m defender

MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal have been joined by Barcelona in the race for Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte, according to reports.

Aymeric Laporte Player Profile

Marca claims that the Catalan giants are keen to sign a new defender this summer, and Laporte is at the top of their wishlist.

It is believed that Barca want to finalise the deal as soon as possible, with Laporte remaining with Bilbao for another year due to the Nou Camp outfit's current transfer embargo.

Laporte has emerged as one of the top defensive prospects in La Liga, and has been linked with a switch to the Premier League in recent times.

However, Marca adds that Barcelona have been scouting Laporte for over a year now, whilst a big-money move for Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng has also been mooted.

aymeric laporteGETTY

Barcelona have joined the hunt for Aymeric Laporte
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