Pundit Don Hutchison has shared why he feels now is the best time for Riyad Mahrez to leave Manchester City.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Citizens have agreed a £30m deal to sell the winger to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli.
This has since led to one pundit sharing his thoughts on the player and his proposed move to the Saudi Pro League.
Hutchison assesses Mahrez transfer exit
Speaking in a recent video on the ESPN FC YouTube channel Hutchison had this to say about Mahrez and his reportedly imminent departure from City.
He said: “I think he’s a fantastic player, velcro feet, when the ball goes to him, it sticks.
“He’s got tricks, he’s got goals in him, he’s a match winner, but I think as a player you want to play and it’s alright winning championships and winning the treble but when it doesn’t feel like you’re a big part of it it can sort of feel a little bit empty so Riyad Mahrez is thinking ‘why don’t I cash in, why don’t I try and earn a lot of money?’ He’s going to obviously do that.
“City fans, I think will miss him a little bit because I think he’s a little bit of a cult hero there so he’ll be a miss in terms of his talent but if you’re not playing, then it might be worth the manager and the player looking at it and think it’s time to move.”
Since joining the Manchester club back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Leicester City for a fee of £60m, the 32-year-old has made 236 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side in all competitions.
Across those appearances, the Algerian has scored 78 goals, delivered 59 assists and won numerous trophies along the way.
Last season saw the attacker score 15 goals and supply 13 assists in 47 games but didn’t feature in the FA Cup or Champions League finals, which could be why Hutchison feels that Mahrez may not feel like a main part of City’s success last term.
Taking into account his age and what he’s delivered for the club since his arrival, we feel that picking up half of what they paid for him is a decent deal for City, especially if he isn’t likely to be a regular starter for them moving forward.
