Athletic Bilbao had agreed terms with European champion Aymeric Laporte and his club Al-Nassr on a transfer, but then the paperwork arrived too late. However, the Basques can breathe a sigh of relief, as FIFA has now approved the move after all.
Champions League participant Athletic Bilbao had agreed on a transfer with Laporte and his employer Al-Nassr from Saudi Arabia. The center back, who came up through the Basque club’s youth system, played for Athletic from 2010 to 2018 before signing with Manchester City and then moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023. His return was imminent, but then the documents apparently arrived too late.
So the transfer looked unlikely, as the rules are very clear in this regard. Just think back to 2015 and the failed transfer of goalkeeper David de Gea from Manchester United to Real Madrid. But Athletic is now in luck, as the 31-year-old defender is set to return to his youth club, from which he moved to Manchester City in 2018 for €65 million, following a decision by world football’s governing body FIFA.
Application initially rejected
According to Spanish media reports, Al-Nassr had failed to register the transaction correctly and in a timely manner on FIFA’s official transfer portal. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) subsequently submitted a request for retrospective approval, which was initially rejected. It was only after intervention by the Basques and a re-examination that FIFA approved the transfer. Laporte now has to be registered. Bilbao has made a very good start to the new season, winning all of its first three league games. On Saturday, the Basques will continue their league campaign against Alaves, and on Tuesday they face a tough Champions League home game against Arsenal. Athletic Club will also face Borussia Dortmund (October 1 at 9 p.m.) in the Champions League.
