Pep Guardiola admits he wanted Riyad Mahrez to stay at Manchester City but says the club could not deprive the winger of an “incredible” offer to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.
The 32-year-old has completed a move to the Saudi Pro League side following five years at City and is set to earn a reported salary of £750,000 per week, making him among the highest earning footballers in the world.
Mahrez remained an important player for Guardiola last season, playing 47 times in all competitions while scoring 15 goals and recording 13 assists.
But City boss Guardiola believes the money on offer for players to join the Saudi Pro League is making it difficult for clubs to keep hold of some of their top talents.
“Riyad got an incredible offer and that’s why we could not say don’t do it,” Guardiola said.
“Our thoughts were for him to stay here, definitely.
“A few months ago when Cristiano (Ronaldo) was the only one to go, no one thought this many top, top players would play in the Saudi league. In the future there will be more and that’s why clubs need to be aware of what is happening.
“Saudi is not about being a threat, it is a reality. They want to create a strong league and so far they are the league who can do it.
“The Premier League spent more than the others because the organisation is better and the broadcast rights are higher.
“The Saudi league, I don’t know how long they will sustain that. But the players want to take this experience and play in that league. Saudi Arabia has changed the market.”
Embed from Getty ImagesCity have only brought in one player this summer, Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, and are in need of further additions to reinforce a slim squad.
But Guardiola says he is not looking for a replacement similar to Mahrez, adding: “We are not looking for a replacement for Riyad in terms of skill because every player is different.
“We will see what happens with loan players and which players stay here. A few things are going to happen. The market is open until end of August.
“It is not easy to replace this kind of player. He doesn’t feel the pressure, he is a guy who has to play every single day to be happy. I understand completely.
“I know how tough it was to not play in the FA Cup final and Champions League final. It was really good to work with him. Our relationship was ups and lows, but always with incredible respect.”
