Ayemeric Laporte has confirmed that he will leave Manchester City this summer after five-and-half seasons.
The defender, who joined the Etihad club in January 2018 in a record-breaking $71 million transfer, reportedly agreed to join Saudi Pro-League side Al-Nassr in a £23.5 million deal.
After signing for City five and half seasons ago, Laporte quickly became a fan favourite, owing to his strong defending and clean left-footed passing. But he has fallen down the pecking order in recent seasons, and the arrival of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig has further pushed him down the ladder.
So he was keen on a move to Al-Nassr, who were willing to pay City’s asking price for the Spanish international. The 29-year-old will become the latest high-profile player to sign for a Saudi Pro League club, with ex-City teammate Riyad Mahrez among them after moving to Al-Ahli last month.
Although there has been no official word from City about the transfer, Laporte took to social media to confirm his departure. He posted a video on Twitter with the caption:
“Dear Cityzens, today I wanted to share a story with you…
“It has lasted for five and a half unforgettable years. Plenty of memories that I will keep forever close to my heart.”
“I want to thank everyone who made this journey possible: the @mancity board, the coaches and the whole staff, every single teammate I shared the dressing room with, and, of course, all of you.”
Laporte will leave the Etihad after making 180 appearances for City, with his last outing for the club off the bench during their opening-day Premier League win at Burnley. He played 120 Premier League games for City, winning 13 trophies in all — including five league titles.
