The Spanish club Athletic Bilbao has finalized the signing of French defender Aymeric Laporte, formerly of Saudi club Al-Nassr, marking his return to his previous team during the current summer transfer window.

The Saudi newspaper "Al-Yawm" reported that Bilbao will officially introduce Laporte as a new player this week, after concluding an agreement with Al-Nassr for his permanent transfer.

Laporte had joined Al-Nassr in the summer of 2023 from English club Manchester City on a three-year contract, before falling out of favor with Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus this summer.

Jesus requested that the Al-Nassr management release the French defender, in light of his tactical plans for the new season and the team's reliance on other players in the backline.

It is worth noting that Al-Nassr has strengthened its squad this summer with several prominent signings, including Inigo Martinez, Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman, in addition to Nader Al-Sharari and Abdul Malik Al-Jaber.