According to reports, Manchester City has supposedly reached an agreement with Al-Ahli to offload winger Riyad Mahrez for a hefty sum of €40m (£34.7m).
Initially, the Saudi Arabian club had their £18m offer for the Algerian international turned down by the Citizens, who were adamant about retaining the 32-year-old player.
However, recent reports from The Athletic suggest that Al-Ahli has returned with an improved bid of €35m (£30.4m), with an additional €5m (£4.3m) in potential add-ons, which has now been accepted by Manchester City.
In a surprising move, Manchester City announced on Wednesday that Mahrez has been excluded from the 25-man squad set to embark on their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea.
Instead, Mahrez is expected to undergo a medical examination in the Middle East on Thursday, ahead of his lucrative transfer to the Saudi Pro League club.
Reports indicate that Mahrez has agreed to sign a three-year contract with Al-Ahli, which includes the possibility of an additional fourth year. It is believed that the player could potentially earn around €30m per season in his new venture.
By joining Al-Ahli, Mahrez will follow in the footsteps of other high-profile Premier League players, namely Edouard Mendy and Roberto Firmino, who recently made the switch from Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively, to the Saudi club during this summer transfer window.
In addition to Mahrez’s departure, Al-Ahli is reportedly engaged in advanced negotiations to secure the services of another Premier League winger, Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle United. Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle United, confirmed on Tuesday that Saint-Maximin is on the verge of joining the Saudi club.
Since his move from Leicester City to Manchester City for approximately £60m in the summer of 2018, Mahrez has been a key figure for Pep Guardiola’s side, making 236 appearances in various competitions. During this time, he has scored an impressive 78 goals and contributed with 59 assists.
Mahrez particularly stood out in Manchester City’s victorious FA Cup campaign last season, where he netted five goals in as many matches, including a memorable hat-trick against Sheffield United in the semi-final at Wembley Stadium.
In the previous season, Mahrez was among the elite group of only six Premier League players who managed to reach double figures for assists, tallying a total of 10, in addition to his five goals across 30 games.
Despite his noteworthy contributions, Mahrez faced limited opportunities as a starter in the Premier League last season, featuring in only 11 matches. Furthermore, his game time during the latter stages of the Champions League was minimal, as he spent a mere 11 minutes on the field from the quarter-finals until the final victory over Inter Milan, where he watched from the bench as an unused substitute.
After a successful five-year spell at the Etihad Stadium, Mahrez is now set to bid farewell, leaving behind a collection of 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles.
It is understood that Manchester City has already identified RB Leipzig’s attacking player and Spanish international, Dani Olmo, as a potential replacement for Mahrez in their squad.