BILBAO, Spain – In a dramatic turn of events, Athletic Club has officially confirmed the return of defender Aymeric Laporte after FIFA granted an “exception to the validation process” for his transfer from Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
The decision overturns an initial rejection and allows the Spanish club to register the player.
The transfer had initially hit a major roadblock when Al Nassr failed to submit the necessary paperwork to FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) before the deadline.
Despite all parties having agreed to the deal, the administrative error left the 31-year-old defender in limbo and unable to be registered with Athletic.
However, Athletic Club immediately appealed the decision, arguing that the delay was due to circumstances beyond their control.
This week, FIFA’s ruling came in favor of the Spanish club, granting them authorization to request the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) for Laporte.
Athletic Club released an official statement announcing the decision, while Laporte himself bid farewell to Al Nassr on his social media.
The move marks a triumphant return for the center-back, who came through Athletic’s academy before his move to Manchester City in 2018.
While the deal is now confirmed, reports indicate that Laporte will not be eligible to be registered for the Champions League group stage, as the deadline for squad submissions has already passed.
Nonetheless, his return is a significant boost for Athletic Club and a happy conclusion to a saga that seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.
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