In the summer of 2025, Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte left Al Nassr and returned to Athletic Bilbao, having left Manchester City for the Saudi league in the summer of 2023. A paperwork error on deadline day even caused his return to Athletic Bilbao to fall through at first, and the deal was only finalised after he had to file an appeal with FIFA, much to Laporte’s relief.
Speaking in an interview recently, Laporte opened up about his original decision: “I’ve never said this publicly before, but in my first year in Saudi Arabia, I realised it was not what I wanted. I spoke to the club about this from the first year, and they asked me to wait a little longer.”
“But things never changed. I had some issues there – they weren’t serious, it was just that neither side knew how to handle them properly. In the end, we decided not to extend my contract for a third year. Besides, family factors were also crucial for me.”
Before finalising his return to Athletic Bilbao, Laporte also attracted interest from Marseille. “We did have contact, not just with Marseille but also with other clubs. But I wanted to be closer to home, to be with my father and family. I was determined to return to my homeland, and that’s why I ended up back at Athletic Bilbao.”
