Manchester City have accepted an undisclosed offer from Al-Nassr for Spain defender Aymeric Laporte.
The 29-year-old made 43 starts during 2021-22 but coach Pep Guardiola used Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake more often during City’s Treble-winning season.
City then spent £77m to bring in another left-sided defender this summer in Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol, 21.
Laporte could join the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic and Alex Telles at Al-Nassr.
City signed Laporte, who switched his international allegiance from France to Spain in 2021, from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018 for £57m, then a club record fee.
Guardiola had taken charge of City 18 months earlier, and Laporte’s ability to play the ball out from defence helped the team win the Premier League title five times in the last six seasons.
He made 51 appearances in 2018-19 and 44 in 2021-22 before the arrivals of Ake and Akanji lessened both his influence and playing time.
Laporte has made a total of 180 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals, and has 22 caps for Spain, helping them win the Uefa Nations League final in June.
Al-Nassr signed five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in December and they became one of four Saudi Pro League clubs to be taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in June, the others being Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli.
The club followed up the signing of Ronaldo by bringing in the likes of Mane, Brozovic, Telles and Seko Fofana this summer.
