Aymeric Laporte has bid farewell to Manchester City ahead of his impending move to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, where he will link up with ex-Premier League players Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Alex Telles.
Al Nassr made an offer for Laporte earlier this month, as reported by 90min, and were hoping to convince the Spain international to join them. He had been assessing his options before committing to anyone and Aston Villa also retained their interest in a transfer.
In what has been a growing trend, Laporte took to social media on Wednesday evening to personally confirm his departure in an address to City fans.
“It has lasted for five and a half unforgettable years. Plenty of memories that I will keep forever close to my heart,” he posted alongside a video.
“It’s always easy to think of the good ones: the trophies, the wins, the goals, the tackles and the big fights in the Premier League. But I will also remember the bad ones: the injuries and being sidelined, the defeats and the mistakes I may have made.
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“From trophies to setbacks, victories to injuries, it’s all been part of my journey, and I’m grateful for absolutely every moment that shaped me into who I am today.
“I want to thank everyone who made this journey possible: the Man City board, the coaches and the whole staff, every single teammate I shared the dressing room with, and of course all of [the fans]. It was an honour and a pleasure to wear these colours, and I hope you will remember me in a good way for this.”
French-born Laporte joined City from Athletic Club in January 2018 and made 180 appearances for the club, winning five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League. He was a regular in both 2018/19 and 2021/22, but long-term injury wrecked his 2019/20 campaign, while he was a squad player for much of 2020/21 and 2022/23.
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