Manchester [UK], August 25 : Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte has now become the latest player to join Portuguese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League after Manchester City confirmed his exit.
After enjoying a five-and-a-half-year successful stay with the Treble winners, the 29-year-old will walk away with 13 major trophies.
Laporte went straight into head coach Pep Guardiola's plan after arriving from La Liga's Athletic Club in January 2018. His arrival marked the beginning of a new era in the Premier League as Manchester City went on to become the first Centurions.
In the next season, Laporte emerged as the central figure of City's defence as he featured 51 times and completed the domestic treble in the 2018/19 campaign.
But his moment of glory was shortlived with injuries plaguing his 2019/20 campaign. In his absence, John Stones and Ruben Dias established themselves as the main centre-backs.
The 2021/22 campaign saw his return to the side once again as he featured 44 times as Manchester City once again lifted the Premier League title.
Once again injuries haunted Laporte's moment of success as he missed the start of the beginning of the Premier League 2022/23 campaign.
He once again struggled to make appearances for the club in the crucial games. Laporte completed the Treble with Manchester City and was also a part of the club's success in the 2023 UEFA Super Cup.
Reflecting on his time at City, Laporte said as quoted from the club's official website, "I am proud to have represented Manchester City over the last six seasons. When I first joined, I was excited about the prospect of winning trophies. However, I could not have imagined the success we would go on to achieve together. "
"I would like to thank the coaches, my teammates and of course the brilliant City fans for all of their support throughout my time in Manchester. I will always be a City fan and I look forward to seeing you all again," Laporte signed off saying.
The Spaniard will now feature alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League. He is not the first top European player to join Al Nassr. Alex Telles, Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic and Otavio have been signed by the SPL club in this summer transfer window.
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