Al Ahly have agreed a deal to sign Riyad Mahrez from Manchester City in a deal worth €35m (£30.4m, $39.2m) plus €5m in add-ons.
Mahrez, 32, is due to undergo a medical tomorrow ahead of his proposed move to the Saudi Professional League. He will sign a three-year contract with a fourth conditional.
The Algeria international was left out of City’s 25-man squad for their preparatory trip to Japan.
the athlete I reported earlier this week that a deal is closing, with the Etihad Stadium club aware of the possibility of losing Mahrez this summer. They made plans to replace it with a new wing should a move occur.
At the same time, City also doubled down on its attempts to keep Bernardo Silva, who was also approached by Saudi club Al-Hilal.
City would like to keep both Mahrez and Bernardo, but realize the Algerian winger is open to a move away.
What the treble winners don’t want to do is lose both players, and they’re determined to keep Bernardo.
Having watched Declan Rice move to Arsenal for £100m plus £5m in add-ons, City have used the fee as a benchmark for Bernardo, making clear to the player how important he is to their plans for next season.
However, with the loss of Mahrez, they appreciate the need to bring in a fresh face to replace him.
Meanwhile, Al-Ahly has already signed goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from Chelsea and Roberto Firmino on a free transfer from Liverpool.
Go deeper
problem? Yes. But Saudi Arabia is the cash cow that the Premier League needs
(Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“Typical food guru. Problem solver. Devoted beer practitioner. Professional reader. Baconaholic.”