Laporte is a prisoner in the 'golden cage'

Laporte’s future hangs in the balance between his huge contract at Al Nassr and his desire to return to Bilbao, where he grew up. Now, both doors are ajar, making Laporte a “prisoner” of his own huge salary and complicated legal obligations.

Doors close in Saudi Arabia

The deal to return to Athletic seemed to be completed at the end of the summer transfer window. Bilbao were ready to raise the salary cap to bring back the Basque son. But at the last minute, FIFA refused to register and Athletic were forced to wait for the CAS decision. Meanwhile, in Riyadh, Al Nassr also finalized 10 foreign player slots, including new signing Inigo Martinez - a direct replacement for Laporte.

That list is enough to “lock” the future of the French-born central defender in the Saudi Arabian National Championship and the National Cup. He only has a contract worth 25 million euros net per season, turning into a luxurious but restrictive “golden cage”.

Laporte has never hidden his desire to return to San Mames. Athletic have also agreed to break the traditional salary cap to bring him to the highest level within the club. A three-year deal was on the table, but everything was frozen when FIFA blocked it. Unless CAS overturns the decision, Laporte will have to wait until at least 2026 to wear the red-and-white shirt again.

According to Correo Vasco , Laporte is currently in Bilbao, not training with Jorge Jesus’ squad and not on the domestic squad. He could play in the Asian Champions League 2 – a tournament described as the “Asian Europa League” – but that is clearly not the place for a Euro-winning centre-back to maintain his top form.

Previously, Besiktas (Türkiye) and some Greek teams had offered him offers, but Laporte had refused them all. For him, Athletic was the only destination. That determination made the reality even more paradoxical: he longed to play football, but was trapped in a spiral of contracts and player registration policies.

Consequences for the Spanish team

Laporte has not played for Spain since November 2024. A muscle injury combined with his lack of a place at Al Nassr has left him out of recent training sessions, from the Nations League Final Four to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Coach Luis de la Fuente even had to express his concern on the El Larguero (SER) program: “Laporte is an asset for Spanish football, and I want him to play at the highest level. In Saudi Arabia, he played very well, he was the best central defender in EURO. Now I want to see him happy, because at the moment it is clear that he is not. Technically, he is still among the best central defenders in the world .”

Those words of encouragement bring some hope, but the truth is that Spain's defense has three solid faces: Huijsen, Cubarsi and Le Normand. The remaining position can completely belong to Laporte, but the prerequisite is that he finds a regular playing rhythm.

Laporte’s future now looks like a deadlock. Al Nassr is out of contention, Athletic cannot open, and the national team is waiting impatiently. Time passes, the 2026 World Cup is approaching, and each week he is absent from the pitch makes Laporte’s chances smaller.

At 31, he should be at the peak of his career. But instead of playing at San Mames or chasing the World Cup with La Roja, Laporte is sitting in a luxurious “golden cage” in Riyadh - a clear illustration of the tragedy of modern football, where money can both elevate and imprison a career.

Source: https://znews.vn/laporte-la-tu-nhan-trong-chiec-long-vang-post1584207.html