Aymeric Laporte is officially rejoining Athletic Bilbao after a period of uncertainty. The defender’s move from Saudi club Al Nassr faced a last-minute administrative problem, but FIFA has now given the final approval for the transfer to go through.
This case shows how important procedural details are in football transfers. While FIFA initially stuck to the rules after the deadline was missed, their decision to reverse the ruling suggests they considered the nature of the error—a technical issue from the selling club—and allowed for a fair outcome.
🤝 A Last-Minute Problem
The transfer hit a snag on September 1, the transfer deadline day. The move couldn’t be finalised because the selling club, Al Nassr, reportedly failed to complete the required information in FIFA’s online system. This administrative delay put Laporte’s return to the LaLiga club on hold.
🔄 A Successful Appeal
Initially, a request from the Spanish football federation (RFEF) to make an exception was rejected by FIFA. However, Athletic Bilbao appealed the decision. Their persistence paid off, as FIFA reconsidered and has now granted the RFEF’s request, allowing the transfer to proceed.
🎉 Laporte is Back in Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao confirmed the positive news in a statement, announcing that the necessary paperwork can now be processed. This paves the way for the 31-year-old defender to be officially registered. Laporte first left Athletic for Manchester City in 2018 before joining Al Nassr in 2023, and his return is highly anticipated.
