Former Man City star Aymeric Laporte has stated that many players in Saudi Arabia are “dissatisfied” after making the move to the Middle East in 2023.
The summer transfer window last year saw many big names move to the Saudi Pro League, mostly for the money, but they are now finding out that the football there is not very good, attendances at some stadiums are low and the majority of football fans don’t care or talk about them anymore.
Former Man City and current Al-Nassr star Aymeric Laporte has been speaking about his situation in Saudi Arabia to Diario AS, saying: “It’s a big change compared to Europe, but in the end, it’s the adaptation that counts. They didn’t make it easy for us. In fact, there are a lot of players who are dissatisfied, but hey, we work on it every day.”
Laporte moved to Al-Nassr from Man City last summer after spending five years at the Premier League champions. The defender won everything at the Etihad Stadium and wanted a fresh start at a new club. Having played in some of the biggest matches in the sport, at the biggest stadiums and against the biggest teams; it is no surprise that the centre-back is struggling to adapt to the Saudi Pro League.
Jordan Henderson left Al-Ettifaq this month after just six months, while Karim Benzema is also reported to not be happy in Saudi Arabia.
Players are starting to discover that football is not all about money and some are plotting their routes back to Europe.
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