Surplus-to-requirements Aymeric Laporte is closing in on a move to Saudi Arabia from Manchester City, reports claim.
The 29-year-old has been at the Etihad Stadium after signing from Athletic Club Bilbao in 2018.
Laporte enjoyed three great seasons under Pep Guardiola even with consistent injury problems. However, as the Spanish tactician began signing more centrebacks, his play time reduced.
French-born Laporte has been surplus to requirements at Manchester City for a while and has been linked with an exit for the better part of two seasons. The arrival of Josko Gvardiol sealed his exit officially and City began taking it seriously.
However, not many clubs were willing to match the player’s wages and City’s asking price, considering that he had two seasons left on his contract at 29 years old.
He is now set to call time on his five-year trophy-laden Manchester City career for a stint in the Middle East after agreeing to join Al-Nassr.
Reports claim that the Saudi Pro League side will pay £25.6 million to Manchester City for Laporte. They offered him a yearly £21.3 million salary package which was enough to convince the Spain international to leave European football.
That amounts to over £400,000 a week for the former Bilbao man, which places him among one of the highest paid signings of the summer for the Saudi Pro League.
Laporte’s medical to complete the transfer is scheduled for this week and his eventual announcement will come soon after.
He joins teammate Riyad Mahrez who signed for Al Ahli in July. Both of them will face off when Al Ahli and Al-Nassr clash later in the season.
At Al-Nassr, Laporte will join Sadio Mané, Marcelo Brozovic, Seko Fofana, Alex Telles and Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who started the big European migration wave to the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s new side has been touted to hold on to their treble for two more years. This will make them the first and only team to win not just back-to-back trebles, but to win it three times in a row.
An optimistic Manchester City fan made this prediction during a segment on TNT sports which featured former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand, who refused to accept that possibility.
“No, chance, absolutely no chance,” Ferdinand told TNT Sport of the prospect of a Treble Treble. “I will quit my job, go into hiding and you’ll never see me again if that happens.”
Ferdinand, however, would dismiss a fan who opined that Man City would not win any trophies this season.
“No, no,” he said in a later clip, when one fan suggested City are in transition and won’t be champions. “They have lost Gundogan but they brought in Kovacic. He has three Champions Leagues!
“They’re not bringing in donkeys, they’re bringing in people that are ready. Mahrez has gone, an experienced player, but they have young Cole Palmer coming through, just won the Euros.
“He has huge potential and talent. They will probably go and recruit another one.”
