The International Football Federation (FIFA) rejected the transfer of defender Aymeric Laporte to Athletic Bilbao, the Basque club announced on Wednesday in a press release, in which it ensures the options to integrate the player.
“The Athletic Club wishes to inform its supporters and supporters that FIFA refused the request of the Spanish Football Federation which aimed to obtain the International Transfer Certificate (CTI) via the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, in order to finalize the signature of Aymeric Laporte,” said Athletic.
According to the Spanish press, Bilbao, which is playing the Champions League this season, and Al Nassr, where the Spanish international has been playing since 2023, agreed on Monday on the transfer of the player, before the official closing of the transfer window to Spain. But this one had not been formalized.
FIFA refuses an “exceptional validation” in Bilbao
The Athletic Bilbao admitted in its press release on Wednesday that the club had submitted “the transfer request” on the FIFA computer platform, even “if it had not been able to complete it completely in times for reasons independent of its will and because of external factors escaping its control”, without specifying which.
It is for this reason that the Spanish Football Federation had requested “exceptional validation” at FIFA, which was refused. “The Athletic Club continues to work to satisfy the will of the three parties (Al Nassr, the player and the Athletic Bilbao) and is studying all the legal possibilities,” added the club.
Aymeric Laporte, 31 years old and European champion with Spain in 2024, already played in Bilbao between 2012 and 2018. He then signed in Manchester City, where he won the Champions League in 2023 before joining Al Nassr.
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