Athletic Bilbao have signed promising defender Aymeric Laporte to a new four-year deal, ruining the transfer hopes of some major Premier League clubs.
Both Manchester United and Manchester City had been linked to the 21-year-old centre-back, but Laporte accepted a deal that will keep the Frenchman under contract at the club until 2019.
The deal includes a release clause of €50 million -- a significant increase of the figure originally touted by the club that Louis van Gaal reportedly declined to meet.
Laporte made 49 appearances in all competitions for Athletic this season, helping them to a seventh-placed finished in La Liga and a Europa League berth.
Aymeric @Laporte renueva hasta el 30 de junio de 2019. La clausula de rescisión será de 50 millones de euros. pic.twitter.com/Lw6Z3ywl4T
- Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) June 5, 2015
Van Gaal has expressed an interest in bolstering Man United's defence, with Valencia's Nicolas Otamendi an oft-cited target.
Man City are also in the market following a disappointing season in which Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala both struggled.