Man City defender sends heartfelt goodbye as £23.5m transfer confirmed

Manchester City have confirmed the departure of Aymeric Laporte, who has signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

The defender joined the Blues in 2018 and went on to win five Premier League titles - one of just a handful of players who have been involved in every league success under Pep Guardiola.

But Laporte fell down the pecking order at the Etihad over recent years and dropped as low as sixth-choice centre-back at the beginning of this season, with Josko Gvardiol's arrival from RB Leipzig the final nail in the coffin for the 29-year-old's career in Manchester.

Laporte sent a goodbye message to City fans via his social media platforms on Wednesday, and his exit was officially confirmed on Thursday.

Speaking to the club's website, the ex-Athletic Bilbao man said: "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 team-mates 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 made 180 appearances for City in his time at the club, and scored 12 goals, including the winner the 2021 Carabao Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Laporte's departure to Saudi Arabia means he follows the same path as former team-mate Riyad Mahrez, who joined Al-Ahli earlier this window. Laporte is also now a team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic and David Ospina at Al-Nassr.

Laporte's sale means he is the third experienced City player to leave this summer, along with Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan, with Kevin De Bruyne's long-term injury also a significant blow for Pep Guardiola.