FIFA halts Laporte's Athletic return over Saudi delay

It's a major setback for the Basque club, who had reached an agreement with Al-Nassr and the player. In their statement, Athletic said Laporte "will not be able to join the club at this time," though they are still "working to bring the wishes of all three parties to fruition" and exploring legal avenues.

The club outlined the timeline of the failed operation. On 1 September, within the registration window, all parties agreed on the transfer, subject to conditions.

Athletic uploaded the deal to FIFA's TMS platform that day but could not complete it due to "external factors". The following day, the RFEF asked FIFA for an exceptional validation to secure the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) from the Saudi Arabian Federation. On 3 September, FIFA rejected that request, leaving the transfer blocked.

For now, Laporte remains at Al-Nassr. If FIFA’s refusal is upheld, the deal will be considered void “without any economic consequence,” meaning both clubs would need to reopen talks in January should they wish to revisit the move