Pep Guardiola, the manager of "Manchester City," said on Saturday that "Saudi Arabia has changed the shape of the transfer market in its quest to establish a strong league" following the transfer of Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez from the English champions to Al Ahli.
Mahrez, who scored 78 goals and assisted 59 during his trophy-laden time with City, joined the team returning to the Saudi Professional League on Friday. Media outlets estimated the deal to be around 35 million euros (38.55 million dollars) plus five million in bonuses.
When asked if he wished Mahrez had stayed with City, Guardiola replied, "Absolutely. I enjoyed working with him. Our relationship was exceptional." He added, "Saudi Arabia has changed the shape of the transfer market. A few months ago, Cristiano (Ronaldo) was the only one who transferred, and no one imagined that this number of prominent players would leave for Saudi Arabia. I believe more players will transfer in the future, and this is what clubs need to recognize. Riyad received an incredible offer, and that's why we couldn't ask him to reject it."
Since Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr in January, the Saudi league has become attractive to many players, with Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema joining Al Ittihad, and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson moving to Al Ettifaq.
Guardiola stated, "Saudi Arabia wants to establish a strong league, and so far, it has been successful in that." He continued, "Currently, we do not know how long Saudi Arabia can maintain this, but there is a feeling that it will last for a while. Players want to experience playing in this league, and they are capable of doing so."
