Txiki Begiristain has shared the reason why Aymeric Laporte has left Manchester City.
Earlier today, it was officially confirmed that the Spaniard had left the Manchester club and joined Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr, in a deal worth £23m.
Following this announcement, City’s director shared some comments on the centre-back regarding his time at the Etihad Stadium and even shed some light on what led to him making a move away.
Begiristain discusses Laporte exit
Speaking to the club’s media after they announced Laporte’s exit from City, Begiristain had this to say about the defender.
He said: “Aymeric has been an excellent player for Manchester City during a great time for the Club.
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“He fit into the team seamlessly upon arrival in 2018 and played a key role in many of our successes over the years that have followed.
“The form of the other defenders in the squad made it hard for him to find sufficient game time in 2022/23 and we respect his decision to seek a move elsewhere. I look forward to following his career from afar.”
Specifically, the 29-year-old only made 24 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side last season in all competitions, starting 20 of them, 11 of which were in the Premier League.
If this lack of regular starts is a reason why Laporte has decided to bring an end to his very successful time at City to start a new chapter in Saudi Arabia where he may have a better chance of playing consistently, not many supporters could begrudge him this move.
With the likes of John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji all being picked more than the Spain international last season and now with Josko Gvardiol in the mix, it’s easy to see why the 29-year-old may have thought it was the best time to join a new club.
Even though he ended up falling down the pecking order, it’s undeniable that Laporte was a very successful signing for City given the number of trophies he helped them win since his arrival.