11 months ago
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Former Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte has revealed many players who swapped Europe’s top leagues for Saudi Arabia in the summer are unhappy.
The five-time Premier League winner left Manchester in the summer to join Al-Nassr alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.
Neymar, Roberto Firmino, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez were also among those to leave some of the biggest clubs in Europe for the Saudi Pro League, offered huge salaries.
However, not everyone has settled in Saudi. This week, Jordan Henderson left Al-Ettifaq just six months after joining the club from Liverpool, joining Ajax on Thursday.
Karim Benzema meanwhile is also thought to be considering a return to Europe having joined Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid in the summer.
29-year-old Laporte has now suggested he is having second thoughts over his move, insisting he is not alone with a number of players unsatisfied with working conditions and life in Saudi.
‘They haven’t made it easy for us,’ Laporte told AS. ‘In fact, there are many players that are dissatisfied. They do look after us but not enough for my liking. That is to say, in Europe they pay you a good salary, but they take better care of you.
‘I speak from my own experience and I don’t know what the experience of others is like. For my part, what I have seen is that they try to bring you in, but then there is the day-to-day life and that is different.’
Laporte also suggested certain promises made to players in the summer are not being fulfilled.
‘The ultimatum what you give them doesn’t matter to them,’ Laporte said. ‘I mean, they’re really going about their business. You negotiate something and then they don’t accept it after you have signed it. … It’s a bit of a bummer that I don’t know [would happen] if in Europe.
‘Of course, the same thing that they take away from you in that respect, they compensate in other ways.
Asked if he has considered leaving Al-Nassr to return to Europe, he added: ‘At the moment, I haven’t thought about it, but if I’m disappointed in such a short time, you wonder what to do.
‘That moment has not yet arrived, but in the future it could be if this dynamic continues.’
MORE : Jordan Henderson apologises to LGBTQ+ community over Saudi stint and explains Ajax move
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