Rather than join his treble-winning teammates on their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, Mahrez will head to Saudi Arabia to complete a deal for a fee rising to £30m that will see him join Al-Ahli.
On the one hand, getting £30m for a 32-year-old who wasn't a starter in the Champions League or FA Cup finals is very, very good business.
To get back half of the £60million paid for Mahrez five years ago, to go with the 10 major trophies, is another feather in the cap of City's transfer negotiators.
City are losing a key player underrated at times - but are being fairly compensated. While the move makes sense for all parties, the impact for Pep Guardiola's squad may not be felt until later in the season when they need someone to step up in a big game.
Arriving as a Premier League winner with Leicester, Mahrez was part of the 'fourmidables' of 2019 that won every domestic title available.
City had only won one title under Guardiola by the time he arrived, so Mahrez brought experience and quality to the right-wing - especially useful when Leroy Sane spent the entire 2019/20 season injured before his departure.
After losing the Premier League title to Liverpool in 2020, City would win the title for three years in a row, with Mahrez playing a key role in each success. His debut season took a little time to adapt - although many can relate to that journey but he was on hand to score and assist on the must-win final day victory at Brighton to seal the Premier League title.
This story is from the July 21, 2023 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the July 21, 2023 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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