Athletic Bilbao’s attempt to re-sign defender Aymeric Laporte has been blocked by FIFA.
Gatekeepers News reports that the club confirmed on Wednesday that their deadline-day move for the Spain international could not be completed due to issues outside their control.
Reports in Spain said Bilbao submitted the transfer paperwork too late on September 1, which led the Spanish football federation to ask FIFA for special approval. However, FIFA rejected the request, ruling the transfer invalid.
The 31-year-old centre-back had agreed to leave Saudi club Al-Nassr, where he has been playing since 2023 after joining from Manchester City, but the deal now appears to have collapsed.
Athletic said they are still reviewing possible legal options to revive the move, though if that fails, their agreement with both Laporte and Al-Nassr will be cancelled.
Laporte previously played for Athletic Bilbao between 2010 and 2018, making more than 200 appearances before moving to Manchester City, where he won multiple Premier League titles.
