Athletic Bilbao Appeals FIFA Decision in Laporte Transfer Saga
Bilbao, Spain – Athletic Bilbao is escalating its pursuit of defender Aymeric Laporte, appealing to the International Sports Court of Appeal (CAS) after FIFA initially rejected their request to register the player, according to reports in the Spanish newspaper El Correo on Thursday.
The dispute centers around a late-window transfer attempt from Al-Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club currently under contract with Laporte until 2026. Al-Nassr and Athletic Bilbao reportedly reached an agreement for a €10 million transfer fee, contingent on finalizing all paperwork before the closure of the transfer market on Monday. However,the deal faltered in its final stages,prompting Athletic Bilbao to seek FIFA’s intervention to secure Laporte’s registration.
Spanish radio station Cope reports that Bilbao is exploring all available legal avenues to challenge FIFA’s decision, citing the existing agreement between Laporte, Al-Nassr, and Athletic Bilbao as justification for their appeal. Club officials reportedly express confidence in securing Laporte’s transfer within the next 15 days.
Adding another layer to the situation, AS newspaper reported Thursday that Turkish club Besiktas has also expressed interest in acquiring Laporte during the remaining portion of the summer transfer window. Besiktas’s interest emerged following Athletic Bilbao’s official request to FIFA for Laporte’s international transfer certificate from the saudi Arabian Football Federation.
Laporte, 31, was a member of the spanish national team that won the European Championship in 2024. The outcome of the appeal will determine weather the experienced defender will be joining the Basque club this season.
