Aymeric Laporte, one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile teammates at Al Nassr, appeared set to leave Saudi Arabia in search of more playing time, with Athletic Bilbao pushing hard for his return. However, the Spanish international’s move has collapsed after FIFA stepped in to block the transfer.
Laporte joined Al Nassr from Manchester City in a €27.5 million deal and signed a three-year contract worth a reported €25 million net per season. He was expected to be a cornerstone of the project alongside Ronaldo, but his future at the club had been in doubt since the end of last season. New coach Jorge Jesus has already sidelined him, bringing in Iñigo Martinez from Barcelona as his replacement.
With the door open for an exit, Laporte focused exclusively on rejoining Bilbao. According to Fabrizio Romano, he even turned down more than five offers, including one from Marseille. On deadline day, Athletic reached an agreement with Al Nassr, and only paperwork stood in the way of his homecoming.
But according to Diario AS, Al Nassr submitted the transfer documentation to FIFA’s Transfer Matching System after the deadline. That technicality forced the deal to collapse. Athletic appealed to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to register Laporte, but because it was an international move, the final decision rested with FIFA, which ruled against it.
Aymeric Laporte of Athletic Club looks on during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Athletic Club de Bilbao at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 1, 2013 in Madrid, Spain.
As a result, Laporte will remain with Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and cannot be registered with Athletic until January. That leaves Ernesto Valverde’s side to navigate the first half of the season — including Champions League play — without the veteran center back.
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CAS, Athletic’s last hope
Because the move was international, the RFEF had no authority without FIFA’s approval. Still, there is one last avenue: the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Athletic can present the case in hopes of overturning FIFA’s ruling.
CAS has the power to overrule FIFA in transfer disputes, but it remains to be seen whether the court will free Laporte for an immediate move or leave him tied to Al Nassr until the winter window.
