Steve Howey believes that selling Aymeric Laporte would leave Manchester City short at the back.

£57m man Laporte was City's best defender during their title-winning campaign two years ago, but a serious knee problem saw him miss the majority of last season, whilst the arrival or Ruben Dias from Benfica last summer saw the Frenchman lose his place in the team.

With that in mind, he made just 16 appearances in the Premier League last term and didn't play a single minute in any of City's last five Champions League games.

They've have already lost young centre-back Eric Garcia to Barcelona on a free transfer, whilst Laporte also has been linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium.

But should City move Laporte on this summer, it would leave Nathan Ake as the only back up to regular pairing Dias and John Stones.

And therefore Howey told Football FanCast that it would be a mistake:

"Who else have that got after Stones and Dias? I don't really know. And that's kind of leaving them a bit short unless he's got a replacement.

"It wasn't that long ago Laporte was the main man, and everyone was raving over him. For one reason or another, he lost his place in the team, Stones came in alongside Dias and that was it."