Riyad Mahrez, who was transferred from Manchester City to Al-Ahli team for a transfer fee of 35 million euros at the beginning of the season, made striking statements about the transfer process.
The 32-year-old star football player, who left City and transferred to the Saudi Arabian 1st League team Al-Ahli, said, “I do not regret transferring to Saudi Arabia, I am very happy.” he said.
Emphasizing that it was the right time to leave Manchester City, where he played for 5 years, Mahrez said, “I had two years left of my contract at Manchester City, I could have stayed. I wanted to leave and it was my decision. I felt that the opportunity for Saudi Arabia would not come again. Maybe I should leave.” It was the right time for me. I spent 5 years at Manchester City and won everything. To be honest, I was left with a feeling of incompleteness. Last season I didn’t play in the Champions League semi-final and final. In previous seasons I was always in the starting 11 and had a great impact on my team. “I had a big impact. I wouldn’t say last season was bad, but there was something missing.” he said.
The Algerian star emphasized that he received requests from the club to stay in the team. “Manchester City Sporting Director Txiki Begiristain wanted me to stay. So did Pep Guardiola. They made it clear to me. I weighed the pros and cons. In the end, I decided to leave.” he said.
Making evaluations about the quality of the Saudi Arabian League, Riyad Mahrez concluded his words as follows. “The level of the Saudi League is not bad. It will continue to get better. I am just adapting too. They are trying every way to get the best players. There is really quality and I think this is just the beginning. I don’t know if it will be compared to Europe yet. But this is “At its rate, it will be one of the five or six best leagues in the world in the near future.”
ARABIA PERFORMANCE
Mahrez, who played in 14 official matches for Al-Ahli, scored 6 goals and 7 assists in these matches. The star football player’s contract with his club will expire in 2027.