Athletic Bilbao confirm Aymeric Laporte’s return after Fifa approval | OneFootball

Fifa approved this Thursday the return of Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte to Athletic Bilbao, which confirmed his signing hours later from Al-Nassr, of Saudi Arabia, authorizing the Spanish Football Federation to obtain an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

“Athletic Club announces that Fifa has authorized the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to obtain an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation,” stated the Spanish club.

“As soon as the ITC is issued, the registration can be completed,” it added, referring to the transaction, which had been blocked by these bureaucratic procedures. Hours later, the Rojiblanco club confirmed the player’s return with a contract until 2028.

“The defender returns to Bilbao, his home, where he developed as a player from the age of 15 and played 222 matches for Athletic between 2012 and 2018,” it said.

Following his career, Laporte, who was born in France, signed with Manchester City, where he played for five years.

In August 2023, he joined Al-Nassr, but at 31, eager to return to European football and compete in the 2026 World Cup, he returns to Bilbao to strengthen the defense of a team that also has defender Yeray Álvarez sidelined due to doping.

With the San Mamés club, he won the Spanish Super Cup in 2015, against Barcelona, but it was at City where he built an impressive track record, with a Champions League title and five Premier League editions, among other trophies.

Champion of the Uefa Nations League in 2023 and of the Euro Cup with Spain a year later, Laporte is a candidate for a starting spot at the heart of Athletic Bilbao’s defense alongside Dani Vivian, also a member of ‘La Roja’, and just a few meters ahead of the national team’s starting goalkeeper, Unai Simón.

Laporte’s return to Bilbao is facilitated by the arrival of Barça defender Iñigo Martínez at the Saudi club. Martínez replaced Laporte at Athletic Bilbao when he signed with City in January 2018.

After attacking midfielder Robert Navarro and right-back Jesús Areso, Laporte is the third signing for coach Ernesto Valverde’s team this season, in which the team will return to the Champions League after more than a decade.

In LaLiga, the Basque club shares the lead with Real Madrid, after achieving three wins in the first three rounds.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.