Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr to drop $32 million star from Saudi Pro League roster after failed transfer

A teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo was planning to leave Al Nassr this summer, but after a collapsed transfer, he’s now set to be left out of the Saudi Pro League squad.

Al Nassr spent the summer preparing to seriously contend in the 2025–26 Saudi Pro League season, hoping to put the frustrations of recent years behind them. The club not only brought in top-tier talent but also moved on from several big-name players. One of Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammates was expected to leave — but after plans fell through, he no longer has a place in the team either.

Aymeric Laporte had fallen out of favor with new head coach Jorge Jesus, especially following the arrival of Iñigo Martinez from Barcelona. A deal was reached with Athletic Bilbao for his transfer.

However, an administrative error on Al Nassr’s part prevented the move from going through. The club submitted the transfer documents too late, and the deal wasn’t registered in time with La Liga — leaving the player stuck outside the Spanish side and forced to return to Riyadh.

Under these circumstances, Laporte’s situation has become especially difficult. Unable — for now — to play for Athletic Bilbao, he’s also not in Jorge Jesus’ plans. According to Diario AS, Al Nassr will leave him off the registered squad for both the Saudi Pro League and the King’s Cup.

That’s due to Saudi Arabia’s foreign player registration rules, which cap clubs at 10 international players (8 over the age of 21, plus 2 under-21 players born after 2004). Al Nassr have already filled all eight senior international slots: Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman, Marcelo Brozovic, Iñigo Martinez, Mohamed Simakan, and Bento.

What’s next for Laporte?

Despite the transfer window in Spain having closed, Athletic Bilbao still hold out hope of finding a resolution in Laporte’s favor. The Spanish club filed a claim with FIFA, which is still pending. If that’s unsuccessful, they could escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

If neither of those efforts works out, Laporte will be left with two options: find another club in a country where the transfer window remains open, or stay at least six more months in Saudi Arabia. One possible landing spot is Besiktas, with the Turkish club having until September 12 to register new signings.

If Laporte remains at Al Nassr, he won’t be eligible to compete in either the league or domestic cup. However, he could still be registered for continental competition. Al Nassr are set to compete in the AFC Champions League Two, where they’ll debut next Wednesday against FC Istiklol of Tajikistan.

What is Aymeric Laporte worth?

In the summer of 2023, Laporte made the surprising decision to leave Manchester City after their UEFA Champions League title run and join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr. At the time, the Saudi side paid €27.5 million (just over $32 million) for the defender.

After two seasons in which he made 69 appearances and scored 9 goals, Laporte’s market value has dropped significantly. According to Transfermarkt, the Spanish defender is now valued at €15 million. However, his salary remains substantial — around €25 million per year.