Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez has chosen to leave the club in favour of a move to Saudi Arabia, and his desire to leave had been motivated by a decision by Pep Guardiola.
The 32-year-old is a popular figure at the Etihad Stadium, and has proven to be a vital player for City over the years. Even now, the club are reluctant to sell such an important member of their squad, having already lost Ilkay Gundogan earlier this summer.
Mahrez, who joined City in 2018, has two years left on his deal, and was happy with life in Manchester. However, he now looks ready to move to Saudi Arabia, with the winger particularly happy at not being selected for the FA Cup or Champions League finals.
Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, journalist Toby Cudworth revealed that Mahrez was very unhappy with Guardiola’s decision to bench him for both finals, and this fuelled his desire to exit this summer.
“The reason Mahrez wants to go is because he was really hurt by Pep Guardiola not playing him in either the FA Cup or Champions League final,” he stated.
“That really, really hurt him.”
Did Guardiola make a mistake?
Mahrez was an unused substitute in both final victories as City secured the treble, and given that they won both games, it is hard to criticise Guardiola’s team selections in either game.
Bernardo Silva was selected in both matches, with Phil Foden coming off the bench, and given his strong performance in the semi-final against Real Madrid, Guardiola was justified in picking him for the Champions League final.
However, given that Mahrez netted a hattrick at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, his frustration at not reaching the pitch against Manchester United is somewhat understandable.
If he was given even a brief cameo off the bench, then City may not find themselves in a situation where they now might lose a player that Guardiola once described as “special.”
Mahrez scored 78 goals and provided 59 assists in 236 appearances for City over the years, and should he leave now, he will go down as a cult hero at the club, having won every trophy on offer to him.
