The Spanish international centre-back returned to Athletic Club last September, rejoining the club that shaped him as a professional after two seasons in Saudi Arabia.
His path back to Bilbao was complicated — Al-Nassr failed to submit the necessary transfer paperwork before the Spanish window closed on 1 September, prompting FIFA to initially block the move. The governing body reversed course days later, and Laporte signed a three-year deal through to 2028.
Speaking to AS, the 31-year-old was candid about the Saudi chapter of his career.
"I regretted leaving because I was at the best club in the world, City. It's something unique how they look after the player there — you only realise it when you leave. When you arrive, it's impressive, and then when you get used to it you see it as something everyday, something normal.
"When you leave and you no longer live that very special routine they have there, you realise the luck you have being at a great club like City. For me, it was an unforgettable experience. I can't say anything bad because it was one of the very best."
He left City in August 2023 for a reported fee of £23.6 million, joining a project built around Cristiano Ronaldo. The appeal was significant at the time, but the environment did not match what he had been accustomed to.
Laporte explained that when it came to returning to Europe, he had other options — including a concrete approach from Olympique Marseille — but his mind was made up from early in his time in Riyadh.
"There was an approach, yes. There was interest not only from Marseille but from other clubs. There was the idea of getting closer to home, to my father, my family. I was determined to return to my roots."
The decision also carried a sporting dimension. Laporte has kept his place in the Spain squad throughout, and with the World Cup approaching this summer, regular football in La Liga has been essential to his preparations.
"The ideal would have been to start better, but let's see if now at the end of the season we can take something positive from it and next season we do better."
Athletic take on Deportivo Alavés in the Basque derby on Saturday, with Ernesto Valverde's side three points off a European place in his final weeks in charge.