Manchester City have agreed a £30m deal for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli to sign Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez.
The 32-year-old has been given permission not to travel on City’s pre-season trip to Japan and South Korea.
That had already been agreed, providing City received a bid that matched their valuation of Mahrez, who had two years left on his contract.
City paid £60m for Mahrez in 2018 and he scored 15 goals from 47 games in the Blues’ Treble-winning season.
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However, he was an unused substitute for both the FA Cup and Champions League finals and manager Pep Guardiola has opted to let him become the latest big-name recruit by a Saudi Pro-League side.
The likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Neves have followed Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia this summer, while Steven Gerrard has been named Al-Ettifaq manager and Michael Emenalo has been appointed the SPL’s director of football.
The country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has also taken over four of the SPL’s leading clubs, including Al-Ahli, as the league aims to become one of the top five in the world.
The deal to make the former Leicester City man the latest big name to leave England will also see Ahli commit to five million euros in add-ons.
With both clubs in talks, the Premier League champions began preparations for next season without one of their best players.
Mahrez was left out of the club’s 25-man squad for the preseason in Japan as they looked to finalise his exit from the club.
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