Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, speaking at a pre-match press conference, has admitted that he wanted to keep Algerian winger, Riyad Mahrez.
The 31-year-old completed his move to Al-Ahli yesterday but it seems the former Barcelona manager was keen to keep the former Leicester City winger.
“Riyad (Mahrez) got an incredible offer and that’s why we could not say don’t do it,’” Guardiola said. “Our thoughts were for him to stay here, definitely.”
This comes as more and more of Europe’s top players have made the move to the Saudi Pro League which is growing more and more as more players make the move to the Middle East.
More top talent to move to Saudi Arabia
Mahrez, alongside former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin, decided to make the move to the Saudi side, and Guardiola believes more and more of England’s, and indeed Europe’s, top talents will make the move to the Saudi Pro League.
“A few months ago when Cristiano [Ronaldo] was the only one to go, no one thought this many top, top players would play in the Saudi league. In the future, there will be more and that’s why clubs need to be aware of what is happening.
“Saudi is not about being a threat, it is a reality. They want to create a strong league and so far they are the league that can do it. The Premier League spent more than the others because the organisation is better and the broadcast rights are higher.
“The Saudi league, I don’t know how long they will sustain that. But the players want to take this experience and play in that league. Saudi Arabia has changed the market.”
For City, who themselves have spent an absurd amount of money on top-quality players, to say that, there must be serious concerns amongst the European elite about just how strong the Saudi league could become. What is clear, however, Saudi Arabia aren’t going away and are only getting started.