Manchester City has accepted an undisclosed offer from Al-Nassr for Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte. Laporte, 29, featured in 43 matches during the 2021-22 season, but slipped down the pecking order as Pep Guardiola favored Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake more frequently throughout City’s successful Treble-winning campaign.
BREAKING: Manchester City have accepted an offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr for centre-back Aymeric Laporte 💰 pic.twitter.com/nzSTTSomUB
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 16, 2023
In the current summer transfer window, Manchester City invested £77 million to secure the services of 21-year-old left-sided defender Josko Gvardiol from Leipzig. If the move comes to fruition, Laporte might join notable figures such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, and Alex Telles at Al-Nassr.
Back in January 2018, Manchester City acquired Laporte, who shifted his international allegiance from France to Spain in 2021, from Athletic Bilbao for a then-club-record fee of £57 million. Laporte’s adeptness in playing the ball out from the defensive line significantly contributed to City’s accomplishment of clinching the Premier League title five times in the last six seasons under Guardiola’s stewardship.
Aymeric Laporte at Manchester City:
🏆 5x Premier League
🏆 1x Champions League
🏆 2x FA Cup
🏆 3x Carabao Cup
🏆 1x Community Shield
⚽️ 180 appearances
🎖️ PFA Team of the Year: 18/19 PL
🔥 A leading CB in Premier League over many yearsAymeric Laporte was brought in at the… pic.twitter.com/kP28ieChMO
— Real Talk Manchester City (@RealTalkMCFC) August 16, 2023
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Laporte amassed 51 appearances in the 2018-19 season and 44 in 2021-22 before the arrivals of Ake and Akanji reduced both his impact and playing time.
Throughout his tenure at Manchester City, Laporte accumulated 180 appearances and notched 12 goals. On the international stage, he boasts 22 caps for Spain, playing a pivotal role in their triumph in the UEFA Nations League final held in June.
Al-Nassr’s eye-catching signings include five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined in December. The club, along with Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli, underwent a takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in June, leading to a significant transformation in the Saudi Pro League landscape.
Following Ronaldo’s acquisition, Al-Nassr continued to strengthen their squad by bringing in talents such as Mane, Brozovic, Telles, and Seko Fofana during the ongoing summer transfer window.