Manchester City and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli have reached an agreement on a £30 million deal for the transfer of Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez.
As part of the deal, the 32-year-old has been allowed to skip City’s pre-season trip to Japan and South Korea.
The decision to let Mahrez go was contingent on City receiving a bid that matched their valuation of the player. With two years left on his contract, Mahrez’s departure comes after City paid £60 million for his services back in 2018 after he had played a key role in Leicester City’s shock Premier League triumph.
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During his time at Manchester City, Mahrez showcased his talent and played a significant role in the team’s treble-winning season, scoring 15 goals in 47 appearances.
However, he was left on the bench as an unused substitute in both the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
Mahrez will become the latest high-profile player to move to Saudi Arabia. The likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Neves have already followed Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia this summer, while Steven Gerrard has been named Al-Ettifaq manager and Michael Emenalo has been appointed the SPL’s director of football.
The country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has also taken over four of the SPL’s leading clubs, including Al-Ahli, as the league aims to become one of the top five in the world.