Athletic Bilbao has taken serious steps towards re-signing their former defender, Aymeric Laporte, who is close to leaving Al-Nassr during the ongoing summer transfer window.

The Spanish newspaper "Marca" reported that Bilbao's management has reached a preliminary agreement with Laporte to sign a contract extending for three seasons, but they are waiting for his official release from Al-Nassr to finalize the deal.

Al-Nassr is moving towards parting ways with Laporte this summer at the request of Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, who plans to strengthen the team's defense with a new foreign player before the transfer market closes.

The Spanish defender has been excluded from the team's training camp in Austria and missed Al-Nassr's friendly matches against Rio Ave and Almeria, which has fueled speculation about his imminent departure.

Intensive negotiations are currently taking place between the three parties (Al-Nassr, Laporte, and Bilbao) to reach a final financial agreement that paves the way for completing the transfer as quickly as possible before the start of the new season.