Aymeric Laporte Transfer to Athletic Club Blocked as FIFA Rejects Move After Al-Nassr Paperwork Fiasco

When the summer transfer window edges towards its final moments, football fans are accustomed to drama — deals teetering on the brink, midnight dashes to offices, and faxes sent in a race against time. Yet for Aymeric Laporte, what should have been the fairytale return home to Athletic Club has ended in crushing disappointment.

The 31-year-old Spain international had everything lined up for a symbolic San Mamés comeback: the agreement between clubs, personal terms signed, and the belief that he was about to wear the red and white stripes again. But in scenes eerily reminiscent of the infamous David de Gea-Real Madrid fiasco back in 2015, paperwork delays have killed the deal. FIFA has rejected Laporte’s transfer to Athletic Club, declaring it invalid after Al-Nassr, his current club, failed to file documents on time.

Now, instead of leading Athletic into a Champions League campaign, Laporte is stuck in limbo until January at the earliest — a victim of bureaucracy, poor planning, and what many in Bilbao will see as an avoidable mess.

Aymeric Laporte and His Blocked Return to Athletic Club

Laporte’s return was supposed to be more than just a transfer. For Athletic, it symbolised continuity with their unique Basque identity — a local academy product, now a seasoned international, returning to anchor the defence. For Laporte himself, it meant rekindling a connection to the club that shaped him and offering a reset after an unfulfilling stint in Saudi Arabia.

According to reports from Cope and Marca, Athletic had done their part. Their paperwork reached La Liga on time, and the club had agreed to pay Al-Nassr a €10m fee while also preparing a signing-on package worth the same amount to smooth his exit. Laporte, who had rejected other suitors to force through the homecoming, even accepted a three-year contract.

But without the crucial approval from the Saudi Arabian federation and the international transfer certificate, FIFA had no choice but to declare the deal void. Al-Nassr’s late submission left Laporte trapped, his dream move dissolving with the deadline clock.

FIFA Rejects Transfer: No Exception for Laporte

Athletic Club v FC Barcelona – La Liga EA Sports Laporte

Athletic hoped FIFA might grant an exception. After all, this was not about a lack of willingness between the two clubs, but a technical error in paperwork handling. Unfortunately, global football’s governing body is consistent in such matters: if documents don’t arrive in time, the deal doesn’t stand.

That decision leaves Athletic with an immediate dilemma. Do they pursue legal action with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), or do they wait until the winter window to complete Laporte’s registration? Past cases suggest appeals are long shots, with deadlines treated as sacrosanct.

For Laporte, the ruling is devastating. After months of pushing for the move, rejecting other opportunities, and negotiating a path back to San Mamés, he now finds himself in football purgatory.

The Athletic Perspective: A Major Setback

From Athletic’s point of view, this failed transfer is more than just a missed opportunity — it is a significant tactical blow. Coach Ernesto Valverde had earmarked Laporte as the defensive leader for the season, particularly with the club balancing La Liga commitments and a Champions League campaign.

Laporte’s experience, leadership, and aerial strength were supposed to form the backbone of Athletic’s European push. Instead, Valverde must reshuffle his options and possibly turn to younger defenders earlier than planned. The timing couldn’t be worse: the group stage draw had heightened expectations, and the Basque faithful were ready to welcome back one of their own.

Symbolically too, the loss stings. Athletic’s transfer policy, relying on Basque players or those trained in the region, means opportunities to recruit top-level reinforcements are rare. Bringing Laporte home ticked every box — heritage, quality, and leadership. To lose him over paperwork feels like a cruel twist of fate.

Déjà Vu: Comparing Laporte’s Case to David de Gea

Football fans with long memories will instantly recall the chaos of August 2015, when David de Gea’s move from Manchester United to Real Madrid collapsed at the last second due to a late fax. That saga became folklore, a running joke about outdated technology costing players their dream transfers.

Laporte’s case, though separated by a decade, feels painfully similar. Everything was agreed in principle, and the player had mentally moved on, only for bureaucracy to slam the door shut. In both instances, it was not about the player’s quality or the clubs’ intentions, but about missed deadlines and rigid enforcement.

Laporte’s Future: Wait Until January or Fight?

What happens next is unclear. Athletic could explore CAS, but history suggests it’s unlikely FIFA’s ruling will be overturned. That means waiting until January, when the winter window opens, before Laporte can officially register.

For Athletic, patience will be tough. The club had marketed this transfer as a statement, a symbol of ambition and identity. For Laporte, the emotional toll may be even greater — knowing he could have been walking out at San Mamés this September, only to be stuck in Riyadh, unwanted by Al-Nassr and unavailable for his boyhood club.

In the meantime, Al-Nassr still hold his contract, and Laporte faces the unenviable task of seeing out several more months in Saudi Arabia when his heart is already back in Bilbao.

A Cruel Ending to a Summer Saga

Football can be unforgiving, and transfer deadlines even more so. What should have been the homecoming of the summer for Athletic Club is now another infamous entry in football’s history of “what might have been.”

For the fans, Laporte remains a hero-in-waiting. His return will come eventually, whether in January or beyond. But the immediate sting of FIFA’s rejection — and the knowledge that bureaucracy blocked what felt like destiny — will not fade easily.

In Bilbao, the story will be remembered as a cruel twist in a summer where hope turned to frustration. For Laporte, it is another reminder that football careers are shaped as much by paperwork as by performances.