Laporte’s Transfer to Athletic Bilbao Cleared by FIFA After Registration Hurdle

Key Takeaways:

• FIFA approved Aymeric Laporte’s move to Athletic Bilbao following a registration issue involving Al-Nassr and the TMS system
• Laporte, aged 31, has signed a three-year contract after Athletic paid 10 million euros for his transfer
• FIFA’s ruling enables Laporte to join Bilbao’s squad immediately and be registered for the Champions League despite missed UEFA deadlines

FIFA Intervention Resolves Transfer Complication

Athletic Bilbao have officially secured the signing of Aymeric Laporte after FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber upheld the club’s claim regarding the transfer paperwork. The governing body’s intervention came after Al-Nassr failed to submit the required data into FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) before the deadline, placing the transfer in jeopardy. However, evidence provided by Athletic demonstrated that all contractual obligations and signatures were completed in time, and that the administrative error originated with Laporte’s former club, Al-Nassr.

🔙 Bienvenido de nuevo a tu casa, @Laporte#OngiEtorriLaporte #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/MKRNfjPJ8F

— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) September 11, 2025

Transfer Details and Immediate Team Impact

Laporte, now 31 years old, will immediately bolster Ernesto Valverde’s defensive options, as Athletic have struggled with a depleted centre back pool due to Yeray’s suspension and Egilus’s long-term injury, leaving only Vivian and Paredes available in that position. Negotiations between Laporte, Al-Nassr and Athletic spanned much of the summer, culminating in Laporte agreeing to the termination of his contract that still had one year remaining. Athletic then paid 10 million euros to complete the move. Spain manager De la Fuente has publicly welcomed the transfer, highlighting Laporte’s value ahead of World Cup qualifying fixtures.

Timeline of Registration Setbacks and Resolution

Initially, the transfer appeared to have collapsed due to an issue with the TMS platform, as Al-Nassr failed to complete the required steps by the close of business on 1 September. Athletic reported that “they had uploaded the transfer request to FIFA’s TMS platform on September 1, but it could not be fully completed on that date due to reasons beyond their control and external factors. On September 2, the Spanish Football Federation asked FIFA to grant an exception for validation so that the International Transfer Certificate could be received from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, allowing Athletic to register the player.” Despite this intervention, FIFA’s answer was not initially favourable, and the matter escalated to the Dispute Resolution Chamber. Following a full review of the submitted documentation and the arguments from the involved parties, the Chamber issued a favourable decision for Athletic, permitting the registration of Laporte.

Champions League Involvement and Support from Key Stakeholders

Owing to this successful appeal, Athletic can now include Laporte in their Champions League squad, despite UEFA’s standard registration deadline having already elapsed – an exception has been granted in light of FIFA’s ruling. The Spanish Footballers’ Association also played a role, offering substantial support to both Laporte and the club throughout their correspondence with FIFA. While awaiting the verdict, Laporte held off returning to Saudi Arabia and continued training with Athletic in Bilbao; his departure from Al-Nassr was confirmed with a social media farewell shortly after the official announcement. His next public communication is anticipated to be a video message formalising his move to Athletic.