Riyad Mahrez would reportedly like to sign a new deal at Manchester City despite recent transfer links to Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Saudi club, Al-Ahli, are lining up a three-year deal worth over £85m to sign the City winger this summer.
Now though, some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding the attacker and his current situation at the Manchester club.
Mahrez open to Saudi move or new City deal
A recent report from The Athletic had this to say on the matter: “Mahrez is more open to Saudi Arabia but he would also like to sign a new deal at City.
“City are unlikely to offer him one, though, and would be happy to cash in if they received a serious offer. That makes him more likely to leave, but nothing is certain at this point.”
Since arriving at the club back in 2018 in a deal worth £60m, the winger has made 236 appearances for City in all competitions, finding the net 78 times and delivering 59 assists.
As things stand, the 32-year-old’s current contract at the Etihad Stadium isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2025 having signed a two-year extension almost a year ago.
That makes it easy to see why the club may not be too keen to offer him a new deal, even though Pep Guardiola has previously described how significant the winger is by praising the “fantastic” ability he has on the pitch.
However, having seen the Algerian make 47 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring 15 goals and supplying 13 assists along the way, this highlights how important he can be for the team and why the club should look to keep hold of him this summer.
Moving forward, if Mahrez decides he wants to leave the club this summer, City should only consider letting him go if an offer they deem financially suitable arrives.
