Aymeric Laporte is a Spanish football player who currently features for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. He plays as a central defender and is a France-born Spain international.
Club Career
Laporte joined Bilbao’s youth academy in 2010 and played for Bilbao’s C team – Baskonia – in 2011-12. He was then promoted to the B side – Bilbao Athletic – in 2012.
Laporte made his first-team debut for Bilbao on November 28, 2012 against Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona in the Europa League away from home. His first La Liga appearance was on December 9, 2012 in a 1-0 home victory over Celta Vigo. He was eventually promoted to the first team and signed a contract that June 2015.
He left Bilbao in January 2018 for English giants Manchester City for a reported 57 million pounds. He helped City win the Premier League title in the 2017-18 season. Laporte settled into the Premier League in his second season, playing 51 times in all competitions and being named in the PFA Team of the Year. City also won the title again.
Laporte had a few disrupted years but ultimately spent five-and-a-half years with City, making 180 appearances, scoring 12 goals and winning numerous titles, including five Premier League crowns, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and helping them win the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League. However, he only made 24 appearances in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season.
In August 2023, he was linked with a move to several top European clubs but ended up joining several top players in switching to Saudi Arabia, joining Al Nassr.
International Career
Laporte played for the France Under-17, Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 sides, but he switched his allegiance and was capped at senior level by Spain in 2021. He was part of Spain’s Euro 2020 squad in 2021 and also helped them win the UEFA Nations League in 2023.
