Aymeric Laporte leaves Man City and joins Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in £23.5m transfer
AYMERIC LAPORTE has completed a £23.5million move to Al-Nassr from Manchester City.
The Spanish defender has left the treble winners to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
Laporte spent more than five years at the Etihad, winning five league titles and the Champions League.
The performances of Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake saw Laporte’s opportunities decrease last season, though.
Meanwhile, the arrival of Josko Gvardiol this summer pushed the 29-year-old further down the pecking order at City.
Ahead of his exit, Laporte had shared a message to the club’s fans after half a decade with the team.
Alongside a highlight reel of his time in sky blue, he tweeted: “Dear Cityzens, today I wanted to share a story with you.
“This is now our history. Thank you and see you really soon.”
He also added: “It has lasted for five-and-a-half unforgettable years.
“Plenty of memories that I will keep forever close to my heart.”
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Laporte’s move sees him become Al-Nassr’s sixth signing of the summer.
The Saudi giants have also added former Premier League stars Alex Telles and Sadio Mane.
Marcelo Brozovic, Seko Fofana and Otavio have also joined Ronaldo in the Middle East during the current transfer window.
Laporte could make his debut as early as Friday, with Al-Nassr visiting Al-Fateh in the Saudi Pro League.
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