Aymeric Laporte confirms Man City exit ahead of Al Nassr transfer
Transfers News

Aymeric Laporte confirms Man City exit ahead of Al Nassr transfer

Aymeric Laporte has made it known that he will be departing from Manchester City during the upcoming summer, with his sights reportedly set on a move to Al-Nassr.

The 29-year-old defender is believed to have reached an agreement for a three-year contract with the Saudi Arabian club. After successfully completing his medical examination on Wednesday, he is now on the brink of finalizing his anticipated transfer to the Middle East, with a reported transfer fee of £23 million attached to the deal.

Laporte is on the verge of leaving Man City after a productive tenure of five and a half years at the Etihad Stadium, during which he featured in a total of 180 matches spanning various competitions.

As a Spain international, he has contributed significantly to Man City’s success, collecting a total of 13 trophies with the club. Among these achievements are five Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, two FA Cups, one Champions League triumph, one Community Shield victory, and one UEFA Super Cup. Notably, he recently secured the latter accolade by prevailing over Sevilla in a penalty shootout earlier this month.

In a bid to bid adieu to the loyal Man City supporters, Laporte took to social media. Accompanied by a video, he shared the following statement: “Dear Cityzens, today I wanted to share a story with you… It has lasted for five-and-a-half unforgettable years. Plenty of memories that I will keep forever close to my heart.

“While it’s easy to reminisce about the successes—the trophies, the victories, the goals, the tackles, and the intense battles in the Premier League—I will also hold onto the challenges: the injuries and periods of being sidelined, the losses and the mistakes I may have made.

“From moments of glory to moments of setback, from triumphs to injuries, every facet has contributed to my journey, and I’m sincerely appreciative of each instance that has shaped me into the individual I am today.

“I extend my gratitude to all those who have played a role in facilitating this journey: the Man City board, the coaching staff, the entire support team, every teammate who shared the dressing room with me, and of course, all of you.

“It was a privilege and a joy to don these colors, and I hope to be remembered positively for this. Once again, I thank you for everything. I wish you all the best for the future, and I will continue to follow your progress closely. Until we meet again.”

Throughout the summer, Laporte has been extensively linked with an exit from Man City, mainly due to his limited game time under the management of Pep Guardiola in the past season.

In City’s triumphant 2022-23 campaign, Laporte was included in the starting lineup only 20 times across various competitions, with a mere 11 starts in the Premier League. Furthermore, he spent 22 instances on the bench as an unused substitute.

The preferences of Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake saw them selected ahead of Laporte. Additionally, the arrival of Josko Gvardiol, another left-footed defender, as a high-profile signing has further diminished Laporte’s standing within the squad hierarchy.

Laporte is now embarking on an exciting new chapter in his career within the Saudi Pro League, where Al-Nassr awaits. This team, captained by the five-time Ballon d’Or awardee Cristiano Ronaldo, has been actively bolstering its roster in the transfer window, securing notable signings such as Sadio Mane, Otavio, Marcelo Brozovic, Seko Fofana, and Alex Telles.

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