Manchester City has accepted a bid, potentially worth up to 30 million pounds (38.7 million dollars), from Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli for Riyad Mahrez. As a result, the 32-year-old Algeria international has been granted permission to skip the treble winners’ pre-season tour of Asia.
Mahrez is now in talks to finalize the terms of a potential move to Al Ahli, a Saudi Pro League team based in Jeddah. There are reports suggesting that he has been offered a three-year contract by the club.
Due to his situation, Mahrez was not included in Manchester City’s 25-man squad scheduled to depart for Japan and South Korea on Wednesday. The former Leicester City winger had signed a contract extension last summer, but he was reportedly dissatisfied with the limited game time he received during the triumphant 2022–2023 campaign, where the team secured a treble.
In the previous season, Mahrez only started 22 English Premier League (EPL) matches and remained an unused substitute in the final matches of both the English FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
Mahrez initially joined Manchester City from Leicester City in 2018 for a deal worth 60 million pounds, after having played a crucial role in helping Leicester win the EPL two years prior. During his time with Manchester City, he went on to win the league title four more times under the management of Pep Guardiola.