Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Al Ahli announced on Tuesday the signing of Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, 32, from Manchester City on a four-year contract.
“The wait is over: Riyad is real,” the Saudi club said in a brief tweet on its official account, accompanied by a video of Mahrez in Paris wearing a jersey with the number 2027, the year he signed with the club.
Al Ahli, like other Saudi clubs that have made big-money signings in recent years, has not revealed the transfer fee or the player’s salary.
In his own tweet, Mahrez said goodbye to his fans and team, saying that his time at Manchester City had been an “unforgettable chapter” in his life and career.
He thanked the entire squad and the Manchester City fans for making him feel like part of the family from day one.
The English club also said goodbye to the Algerian winger, who joined City in 2018 from Leicester City.
During his time at the Etihad, Mahrez played 236 games and scored 78 goals, as well as assisting on 59 others, becoming an essential member of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
“In total, Mahrez won the Premier League title four times in five years with the Blues, as well as two FA Cups, three Carabao Cups, two Community Shields and leaves as a Champions League winner,” the club said in a statement.
Mahrez joins a Saudi league that is looking to attract football stars with millions of euros, and has already signed several, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
