Turkish club Besiktas has entered into serious negotiations to acquire the services of Spanish international Aymeric Laporte, defender of Al-Nassr, to strengthen the Black Eagles’ squad in the final stretch of the current summer transfer window.
Turkish newspaper “Fanatik” revealed that Besiktas aims to secure Laporte’s signature in the summer mercato, amid tensions between the Spanish defender and coach Portuguese veteran Jorge Jesus, in order to secure a strong defensive line signing.
The report noted that the Turkish club has opened direct communication channels with Aymeric Laporte’s agent to complete the deal on loan until the end of the current season, with an option to buy, a contract that would bring the greatest benefits to all parties.
The report indicated that the former Manchester City defender sees the Turkish offer as a glimmer of hope to escape Jesus’s hell in the new season, but he is currently studying the contract terms before making the final decision whether to leave for Istanbul or stay in Riyadh.
Al-Nassr appears open to Aymeric Laporte’s departure from First Park stadium, after he fell out of Jesus’s plans this season, however, the club’s management won’t allow the veteran Spanish defender to leave for Istanbul without receiving financial compensation that would boost the capital club’s treasury.
The report concluded by confirming that Laporte wouldn’t mind leaving for Besiktas instead of being frozen out under Jesus, seeking to secure his place in the Spanish national team, as the former City defender has been absent from the Yellow team’s matches since the start of this season, both in the Saudi Super Cup and in the Roshn League opener against Al-Taawoun.
Laporte, 31, joined Al-Nassr in summer 2023 from Manchester City, where he defended the Global club’s colors in 69 matches across all competitions, scoring 9 goals and providing one assist, without winning any titles.
The International Football Federation “FIFA” decided yesterday, Wednesday, to reject Athletic Bilbao’s request to register defender Aymeric Laporte for this season’s squad, derailing one of the Basque team’s most prominent summer transfer window signings.
Bilbao had announced days ago reaching an agreement with Al-Nassr to sign the Spanish international defender, however the deal hit an administrative obstacle when the necessary paperwork wasn’t submitted in time before the Spanish summer transfer window closed last Monday evening.
The Basque club stated in an official statement that the International Federation rejected the Spanish Federation’s request to register Laporte, indicating that it made all possible efforts to complete the deal, but was surprised by delays in completing documentation from Al-Nassr’s side, which caused the deal to fall through.
The statement added that the administration will not bear any financial consequences due to the transfer’s failure, confirming that the error was not on their part. Reports had revealed that Al-Nassr would receive about 10 million euros for releasing their defender, but with the operation’s failure, the player’s future remains unclear.
Laporte, who previously represented Athletic Bilbao for years before moving to Manchester City and then Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, was seen as a strong addition to the team seeking to compete for European tournament qualifying positions. However, FIFA’s decision has forced the club to reconsider its defensive plans for the new season.