Laporte’s return to Athletic blocked by FIFA

Aymeric Laporte’s highly anticipated move back to Athletic Club has hit a major setback. Despite Athletic presenting their paperwork on time, Al-Nassr failed to submit the necessary documentation before the deadline, leaving the transfer in FIFA’s hands.

Delay From Al-Nassr Causes Transfer Breakdown

According to journalist Ramón Fuentes, the problem stemmed from Al-Nassr sending Laporte’s documents late to FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS). As a result, FIFA could not validate the transfer in time, preventing the Spanish Federation and LaLiga from finalizing the registration.

Champions League Registration Also Impacted

Athletic had hoped to include Laporte in their Champions League “A list” before the registration deadline, but the delay now prevents this. The club argued that the issue was under FIFA’s review and therefore beyond their control.

FIFA’s Strict Stance on Late Documentation

FIFA reviewed the situation yesterday but refused to validate the signing, stressing its strict rules on transfer deadlines. The governing body maintained that there had been ample time to complete the move and criticized the last-minute handling of the operation.

What Happens Next?

If FIFA determines the documents were indeed late, Laporte will not be eligible to play for Athletic until January 1, when the winter transfer window opens. However, if FIFA later rules that the paperwork arrived on time, the move could still be approved in the coming days.

For now, Athletic has chosen to remain silent, waiting for FIFA’s official decision before making a statement on Laporte’s future.