_2.jpg) Laporte withAl-Nassr in 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aymeric Jean Louis Gérard Alphonse Laporte | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1994-05-27)27 May 1994 (age 31) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Agen, France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Athletic Bilbao | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2009 | SU Agen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Bayonne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Athletic Bilbao | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Basconia | 33 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Athletic Bilbao B | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2018 | Athletic Bilbao | 161 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2023 | Manchester City | 121 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Al-Nassr | 47 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Athletic Bilbao | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | France U17 | 11 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | France U18 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | France U19 | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | France U21 | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Spain | 43 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:25, 22 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:28, 18 November 2025 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aymeric Jean Louis Gérard Alphonse Laporte (French pronunciation:[ɛ.mə.ʁikla.pɔʁt]; born 27 May 1994) is a professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forLa Liga clubAthletic Bilbao. Born in France, he plays for theSpain national team.
When he joined Athletic Bilbao in 2010 at the age of 16, he became only the second player born in France—afterBixente Lizarazu—to play for them, going on to make 222 competitive appearances for the club. In January 2018, he signed forManchester City. He was part of the side which won the onlydomestic treble in English men's football in2019, and the country's second-evercontinental treble in2023. He moved to Saudi clubAl-Nassr in 2023 and spent two seasons there before returning to Athletic Bilbao in September 2025.
Laporte won 51caps for France atyouth international levels, and was called up to thesenior team twice but remained uncapped. In 2021, after receivingSpanish citizenship, Laporte was named in Spain's squad forUEFA Euro 2020. He would then go on to represent the nation at the2022 FIFA World Cup andEuro 2024, winning the latter tournament.
Aymeric Jean Louis Gérard Alphonse Laporte[2] was born on 27 May 1994[3] inAgen, Lot-et-Garonne, France, and is ofBasque descent through his great-grandparents.[4] He started playing football andrugby at the age of five, and began his development atAgen's football academy.[5][6][7] In 2009, he was invited to joinAthletic Bilbao after being scouted.[5][6] By arrangement with the club, he spent a season withBayonne[6][8] as he was too young to move outside France at the time.[citation needed]
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Laporte arrived inBilbao formally in 2010,[9] joining Athletic's youth setup atLezama, prompting debate locally over whether his signing met the criteria oftheir policy due to his tenuous links to theBasque region.[10][8] He went on to play for the club'sfarm andreserve teams.[11] On 28 November 2012 he was given his debut with the main squad by managerMarcelo Bielsa,[12] playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away win againstHapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona inthat season'sUEFA Europa League.[13]
Laporte made his firstLa Liga appearance on 9 December 2012, playing one minute in a 1–0 home win overCelta Vigo.[14] He was named in the starting line-up the following week, helping Bilbao to defeatMallorca by the same scoreline,[15] and was definitely promoted to the first team shortly after, signing a new contract until 2015.[16] On 14 January 2013, he was given the number four shirt previously worn byUstaritz,[17] and late in the month he renewed his contract, running until 2016 and with a €27.5 million release clause.[18]
Laporte became a regular starter under new coachErnesto Valverde, also being deployed atleft-back on occasion.[19][20][21] He scored his first goal as a professional on 28 October 2013, netting the game's only goal atGetafe.[22] At the end of2013–14 league season, he was voted into theLa Liga Team of the Year by the reporters of theLiga de Fútbol Profesional.[23][24]
In June 2015, Laporte extended his link until 2019 with a release clause of €50 million.[25][26] After losing the2015 Copa del Rey Final toBarcelona,[27] he played both legs of the2015 Supercopa de España triumph against the same opposition, Athletic's first silverware for 31 years.[28]
On 13 June 2016, Laporte renewed his contract until 2020, with his buyout clause rising to an initial €65 million.[29][30]
Near the end of the winter transfer window of January 2018, Laporte signed forManchester City for a reported fee of £57 million[31] (his contractualrelease clause amount and a record-breaking figure for both clubs). He was given the number 14 shirt,[32] while Athletic immediately spent around half of the fee onIñigo Martínez as a replacement.[33] Just one day after signing, Laporte made his Manchester City andPremier League debut againstWest Bromwich Albion. City came out victorious winning 3–0 as they kept up their title charge.[34] He went on to make 13 appearances throughout the season for City, helping them accumulate an unprecedented 100 points in a Premier League season. He made a total of nine league appearances meaning he was eligible for a winner's medal.[35]
Laporte scored his first goal for City on 25 August 2018, equalising againstWolverhampton Wanderers in a 1–1 away draw.[36] He made 51 appearances during the 2018–19 season as the club completed the first domestictreble in English football history (Premier League,FA Cup,League Cup, plus theCommunity Shield).[37] He scored five goals throughout the season, including an important goal on the final day of the Premier League campaign as City romped to victory overBrighton & Hove Albion securing back-to-back league titles and the second of Laporte's career. Overall he played a total of 4,352 minutes.[38] On 31 August 2019, Laporte sustained an injury to his right knee, causing him to be carried off on a stretcher.[39][40] He underwent surgery in September 2019.[41]
Laporte had been a regular starter for Manchester City after his return from injury during the 2019–20 season and through the start of the 2020–21 season until a poor display in a 2–0 defeat toTottenham Hotspur on 21 November 2020.[42]John Stones replaced Laporte in the centre of defence and formed a formidable partnership with new signingRúben Dias in Laporte's absence from the starting line-up.[42] On 25 April 2021, Laporte headed in the only goal of the game as City beat Tottenham to win their fourth straightEFL Cup.[43]
On 24 August 2023, Laporte left Manchester City and joinedSaudi Pro League clubAl-Nassr for a fee of £23.6 million.[44][45] He made 69 appearances for theRiyadh-based club over two seasons, including the2024 Saudi Super Cup final, but missed the2024 King Cup final.
In the summer of 2025, Laporte's former club Athletic Bilbao (short of defenders with thedoping suspension ofYeray Alvarez and a long-term injury to understudyUnai Egiluz) were reported as having agreed personal terms for a return to Spain, with Al-Nassr signingIñigo Martínez as a replacement in an echo of the events of 2018[46] – Martínez was included in the squad for the2025 Saudi Super Cup while Laporte did not travel toHong Kong for the tournament. However, complications over the nature of the transaction (Laporte was said to be negotiating a release from the final year of his contract which was not well received by the Al-Nassr hierarchy)[47] caused the process to be delayed from the Saudi end; no deal was concluded prior to the closure of the Spanishtransfer window on 1 September and FIFA initially declined to grant an exceptionalInternational Transfer Certificate.[48] On 11 September, it was confirmed that the ITC had been granted on appeal and Laporte rejoined Athletic for €1.7 million[citation needed] on a three-year contract.[49][50]
Laporte representedFrance atunder-17,under-18,under-19 andunder-21 levels,[51]captaining each side.[52] He was part of the team that came runners-up toSerbia in the2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Lithuania, and was selected in the Team of the Tournament.[53]
On 24 March 2016, in a2017 European Under-21 Championship qualifier againstScotland inAngers, Laporte was stretchered off with a fracture and dislocation to his rightfibula and ankle, concluding his season prematurely.[54] Previously, in October 2015, he stated that he would consider representingSpain if not selected by France forUEFA Euro 2016.[55] In August 2016, at the behest of new national managerJulen Lopetegui, Laporte began the process of making himself eligible for Spain.[56] A month later, he was called up to the senior France squad byDidier Deschamps for2018 World Cup qualifiers againstBulgaria and theNetherlands in October,[57] and stated he had decided not to apply forSpanish nationality with the continued aim of playing for France.[58] He did not take part in either match.[citation needed]
In August 2019, he was called up for France'sUEFA Euro 2020 qualifying fixtures againstAlbania andAndorra.[59] However, two days later he was injured playing for his club and ruled out of any involvement.[39]
In May 2021, theSpanish Council of Ministers granted Spanish nationality to Laporte following a process initiated on his behalf by theRoyal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).FIFA approved the change of association later that week, allowing him to play for Spain at the upcomingUEFA Euro 2020 tournament.[60] Laporte had previously claimed that "playing for Spain is out of the question" and that he would not apply for dual citizenship.[61]
On 24 May 2021, Laporte was included in Spain's24-man squad for Euro 2020.[62] On 4 June, he made his Spain debut when he started in a friendly goalless draw withPortugal.[63] He scored his debut goal for the national team on 23 June, in thegroup stage 5–0 routing ofSlovakia.[64]
On 14 July 2024, Laporte helped Spain win their fourth European title atUEFA Euro 2024, playing in every knockout game as a starter.[65]
Laporte usually plays as a left-sided centre-back. Spanish football journalistGuillem Balagué described Laporte as a "centre-back who can play from the back and is strong", adding that "he is certainly a powerful defender".[66] He is also known for his passing ability.[67]
He is the second son of Lionel and Marie-José Laporte, both from Agen. His father worked in a supermarket while his mother was a hairdresser.[68] His younger brother Léo Laporte is also a professional footballer.[69] His paternal grandfather Pierre was a rugby player, while his maternal grandfather Jacques played tennis at a local level.
He is married to professional dancer and formerBilbao Basket cheerleader Sara Botello (born in Bilbao with roots inVilardevós in the province ofOurense, the same origins as Laporte's international teammateDani Vivian). They were married in June 2023 and have two daughters, born in 2021 and 2024.
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2011–12[70] | Tercera División | 33 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 2 | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao B | 2012–13[71] | Segunda División B | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2012–13[71] | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[72] | La Liga | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 2 | ||||
| 2014–15[73] | La Liga | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 9[d] | 0 | — | 49 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16[74] | La Liga | 26 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 12[c] | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 45 | 5 | ||
| 2016–17[75] | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 0 | — | 43 | 2 | |||
| 2017–18[76] | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[c] | 1 | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| Total | 161 | 7 | 20 | 2 | — | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 222 | 10 | |||
| Manchester City | 2017–18[77] | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[78] | Premier League | 35 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10[f] | 2 | 1[g] | 0 | 51 | 5 | |
| 2019–20[79] | Premier League | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2020–21[80] | Premier League | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4[f] | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22[81] | Premier League | 33 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9[f] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 4 | |
| 2022–23[82] | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[f] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[83] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 121 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 180 | 12 | ||
| Al-Nassr | 2023–24[84] | Saudi Pro League | 27 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 7[h] | 0 | 1[i] | 0 | 39 | 4 | |
| 2024–25[84] | Saudi Pro League | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[h] | 1 | 2[i] | 0 | 30 | 5 | ||
| Total | 47 | 8 | 6 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 69 | 9 | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2025–26[85] | La Liga | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[f] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Career total | 379 | 25 | 44 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 87 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 523 | 33 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2021 | 14 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 43 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 June 2021 | La Cartuja, Seville, Spain | 4 |  Slovakia | 2–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 | [87] |
| 2 | 15 October 2024 | Estadio Nuevo Arcángel, Córdoba, Spain | 39 |  Serbia | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
Athletic Bilbao
Manchester City
Spain
Individual
Spain squads | |||||||||||||||||||
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