The Spain left Al-Nassr to return to formative club Athletic this season.
And he recalled: "There was an approach, yes. There was interest, not only from OM, but also from other clubs. There was the idea of getting closer to home, to my father, to my family.
"I was determined to return to my roots. That's what made me come back to Bilbao."
On his time in the Saudi Pro League, Laporte continued: "I've never said this before, but from my first year in Saudi Arabia I realized it wasn't what I was looking for.
"I spoke with the club from the very beginning and they asked me for patience. It stayed the same; I had some problems there, nothing serious, that we didn't know how to handle.
"We decided not to continue for a third year. There was also the family aspect, which was important to me."