Athletic Bilbao has dealt a shock to its counterpart Barcelona, which seeks to sign its player Aymeric Laporte during the current summer transfer window, after his brilliance in the World Cup.

"Sport" newspaper reported that sources within Bilbao confirm that the release clause in Laporte's contract is much higher than what is being circulated in the media.

Laporte formed an exceptional defensive duo alongside Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí throughout the World Cup, and the two contributed significantly to Spain's title win after conceding only one goal during the World Cup campaign.

Sport newspaper had recently revealed the moves related to Barcelona's interest in signing Laporte, which sparked Bilbao's displeasure, as the club is still angry with Barça over the Nico Williams case and feels once again that the Catalan club is trying to target one of its stars.

Therefore, the Basque club sent a clear message: if Barcelona wants to sign Laporte, it must pay the full release clause, especially since the player's contract runs until summer 2028.

According to some sources, the release clause ranges between 12 to 15 million euros, but Bilbao officials denied this, confirming that the real amount is nearly double these circulated figures.

In any case, Laporte's arrival at the Spotify Camp Nou would first require the departure of one of Barcelona's defenders, given that coach Hansi Flick has five defenders: Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Gerard Martín, Ronald Araújo, and Andreas Christensen.