According to a report from Foot Mercato this Sunday, centre back Aymeric Laporte of Manchester City has decided to sign with the PIF-funded Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr. The Spanish defender is about to sign a three-year contract with Al-Nassr. In Riyad, Laporte will team up with other star players like Sadio Mané, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles and Cristiano Ronaldo. After City spending €90 million on centre back Josko Gvardiol of Croatia, the Spaniard was no longer part of City’s long-term plans. Hence, He was open to decide about his future. Now it’s certain that he wants to play consistently at club level in order to prepare himself for Euro 2024.
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Aymeric Laporte to join Al-Nassr in a £23.5 million deal
Five years ago, Laporte moved from Athletic Bilbao to Manchester City in an offer worth €65 million. He continued to play 180 games for Pep Guardiola’s team. He helped City win the 2023 Champions League and was part of their treble winning season. Laporte won five Premier League championships (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023) along with two FA Cups. Laporte, who achieved five Premier League trophies with City, is only asking £23.5 million for his services. With Al-Nassr, Laporte is expected to earn close to €25 million annually. However, his fee seems like a complete bargain, and Al Nassr’s supporters generally agree that they received a great deal.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano claimed that although City are prepared to approve the deal, the player will ultimately make the final decision. Hence Pep Guardiola is open to keeping him on as a backup option. But it’s very unlikely that Laporte will like to have a seat in bench for next season. The defender is likely to will travel to Saudi Arabia today to finalize the Al-Nassr move. The 29-year-old is set to depart City with two-years left on his existing deal at the Etihad. Hence it’s a really wise move from the saudi outfit to land a player of such a calibre at just £23.5 million with clubs like Spurs in the race.
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