Manchester City
Premier League • England
Saudi offer poised to gut Man City attack, with ‘confirmed and concrete’ interest to devastate Guardiola
Man City are braced for an offer for a key member of their attack after Fabrizio Romano confirmed interest from Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli is “confirmed and concrete”.
In lieu of the Saudi Public Investment Fund taking control of Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Hilal, audacious moves for some of the world’s best players will become increasingly common.
Cristiano Ronaldo is already at Al Nassr, while current Ballon d’Or holder, Karim Benzema, was recently unveiled at Al Ittihad.
CBS Sports reporter, Ben Jacobs, recently confirmed Tottenham talisman Son Heung-min is a target for 2024. Elsewhere, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino will be denied the chance to manage N’Golo Kante who’ll join Benzema at Al Ittihad.
Those moves are just the tip of the iceberg and according to Fabrizio Romano, a Man City forward could be next.
The transfer guru tweeted Al Ahli’s interest in City wide-man, Riyad Mahrez, is “confirmed and concrete”.
Pep Guardiola’s side are yet to be officially approached by their Saudi counterparts, though it appears it’s only a matter of time before the phone rings.
Losing Mahrez would be a bitter pill to swallow for Guardiola after the Algerian presided over yet another stellar campaign this year.
Mahrez blew past double figures in both the goals (15) and assists (13) categories across all competitions. The 32-year-old has been a mainstay in a City attack that has lifted four Premier League titles over the last five years.
What’s more, Bernardo Silva aside who generally plays in midfield anyway, Mahrez is the only left-footed winger Guardiola trusts to play on his right flank.
Phil Foden generally gets the nod on the left side when playing, though has fallen behind Jack Grealish in the pecking order this season anyway.
Mahrez is thus a key cog in City’s wheel and given he signed a contract running until 2025 just last summer, should remain influential at the Etihad for years to come.
The Saudi interest could torpedo City’s plans, with many a player already finding the riches on offer too good to ignore.
On the subject of whether City would cash in, Romano concluded “Man City would require a consistent fee for Mahrez, no chance to let him leave for free”.