Saudi Arabia continues to plunder Europe. The Saudi championship and the club of Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr has just recorded the arrival of the Spanish central defender from Manchester City Aymeric Laporte. “After five incredible years at City, Laporte has signed up with Al Nassr,” the European and English champions hailed in a series of social media posts hours after the Riyadh club made the deal official. arrival of the defender of French origin in a laconic video: “Laporte is there”.
According to several media, the 29-year-old would land in Al-Nassr for an estimated amount of 27.5 million euros. He will find in his new club in addition to the Portuguese, Sadio Mané or Séko Fofana, both recruited in the off-season.
On Wednesday, the defender spoke of his departure in a farewell statement published on X: “It lasted five and a half years, unforgettable years. Lots of memories that I will forever cherish in my heart.
Since arriving at Manchester City in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao, Laporte has won five Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups and above all the Champions League won last June. Saudi Arabia has recently embarked on a player recruitment spree thanks to sky-high salaries offered by its clubs as part of its plans to diversify its economy and attract tourists and investment.
The conservative monarchy, often criticized for its human rights record, bought English club Newcastle United in 2021, the same year the country hosted its first Formula 1 Grand Prix.