Aymeric Laporte last night confirmed his exit from Manchester City – and a host of players, including former striker Sergio Aguero – reacted.
The central defender has completed a move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, in one of the most eyebrow-raising moves of the summer.
Laporte has moved on from City having struggled for starts in the last year.
The 29-year-old was once a staple pick for Pep Guardiola.
But Laporte found himself himself behind Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji last season.
It’s been a frustrating time for him, which has now culminated in him moving on.
And last night, he sent an emotional message to fans on Instagram.
Aymeric Laporte sends emotional message on Instagram to fans as he leaves Manchester City
Last night, Laporte uploaded a video on Instagram of clips going through his career at City.
And he sent a very heartfelt message to fans.
He wrote: “Dear Cityzens, today I wanted to share a story with you…
It has lasted for five and a half unforgettable years. Plenty of memories that I will keep forever close to my heart. It’s always easy to think of the good ones: the trophies, the wins, the goals, the tackles and the big fights in the Premier League. But I will also remember the bad ones: the injuries and being sidelined, the defeats and the mistakes I may have made.
“From trophies to setbacks, victories to injuries, it’s all been part of my journey, and I’m grateful for absolutely every moment that shaped me into who I am today.
“I want to thank everyone who made this journey possible: the @mancity board, the coaches and the whole staff, every single teammate I shared the dressing room with, and of course all of you. It was an honor and a pleasure to wear these colors, and I hope you will remember me in a good way for this. Thank you again for everything. I wish you the best of luck for the future and I will always keep an eye on you guys.
“Until we meet again. Aymeric.”
A number of players commented, including Nathan Ake, Sergio Gomez, Ederson, Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker. They all left emojis.
But there was also a comment from City legend Sergio Aguero, who affectionately commented ‘Grand pa’.
What a player Laporte was for Man City
Laporte was a brilliant servant for City during his five-and-a-half years at the club.
It has been a bit of a shame seeing a player of his quality sitting on the bench.
But those playing ahead of him hardly put a foot wrong last year.
Laporte will now embark on a new chapter in Saudi, but hopefully he will make a return to Europe before too long.
He is an ‘absolutely world-class’ player, and it somewhat of a shock to see him making the move that he is.
