The exodus of European footballers to the Middle East is still going on, and City winger Mahrez is believed to be the newest well-known player to switch from the Champions League to the Saudi Pro League.
According to The Athletic, Pep Guardiola’s team and Al-Ahli have reached an early agreement on a €30 million transfer fee for the triple Premier League champion, who is expected to end his career in Europe for the time being.
Raphinha, the Barcelona attacker, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for him by Man City after a brilliant debut La Liga campaign with Los Cules.
The Brazilian is reportedly a target for the Etihad Club should Mahrez be sold, which seems increasingly plausible in light of Wednesday’s developments, according to the French outlet Foot Mercato.
Raphinha played at Elland Road for two seasons, captivating Premier League spectators and helping Leeds maintain their top-flight status in 2021–2022.
If he were to return to England, he would be reunited with former Whites colleague Kalvin Phillips, who has had difficulty in Manchester during his first year there but is still a member of Guardiola’s squad.