Riyad Mahrez has joined Al Ahli on a three-year contract after successfully completing his medical examination. Manchester City agreed to a £35 million fee for the 32-year-old’s transfer, and he has already reached a personal agreement with Al Ahli.
The Algerian international expressed his desire to leave Manchester City this summer, likely due to being left out of the starting line-ups for both the Champions League and FA Cup finals. These decisions have prompted him to reconsider his future.
During the previous season, Mahrez made 47 appearances in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists. Despite his contributions, Bernardo Silva was chosen over him in both finals, which City won against Inter Milan (Champions League) and Manchester United (FA Cup).
Mahrez didn’t even get a chance to come off the bench in these matches. This situation has further highlighted Bernardo’s importance to the team, especially with the departure of Gundogan, making Mahrez’s impending exit more significant.
Since joining Manchester City in 2018 from Leicester, Mahrez has been part of the team’s success, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three Carabao Cups, and the Champions League. He played a crucial role in Leicester’s title-winning season in 2015/16.
Al Ahli has been active in the transfer market this summer, signing Edouard Mendy from Chelsea and Roberto Firmino from Liverpool. Also, they are close to securing the signature of Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle.
Manchester City has already experienced the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona, and there are speculations about potential exits for Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva.
The 2023 summer transfer window has seen several prominent players, including Ruben Neves, Karim Benzema, and N’golo Kante, move to clubs in Saudi Arabia, with more likely to follow suit.