Riyad Mahrez names the Man City duo that desperately wanted him not to leave this summer

'They made it clear': Riyad Mahrez names the Man City duo that desperately wanted him not to leave this summer

Srinivas Sadhanand

Al-Ahli superstar Riyad Mahrez has said that Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain were keen on him staying at Manchester City this summer.

In an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe, Mahrez gave an insight into his decision to bid farewell to the club after winning the treble.

Riyad Mahrez says Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain “really wanted” him to stay at Manchester City

In June, journalist Graeme Bailey revealed that the Algerian legend felt “hurt” about not partaking for Manchester City in either of their cup finals last season.

Despite becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final since 1958, the former Leicester City winger watched from the sidelines as the Sky Blues beat Manchester United 2-1 in the final.

Now, Riyad Mahrez has said that despite Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain expressing their desire for him not to leave Manchester City, he felt the chance to join Al-Ahli was far too tempting for him to turn down.

“Txiki Begiristain really wanted me to stay at City and even Pep Guardiola. They made it clear to me. I weighed the pros and cons. And finally, I decided to leave. I don’t regret it, I’m happy to be here [at Al-Ahli]”, Mahrez told L’Equipe.

“I had two years left on my contract; I could’ve stayed. It was me who decided to leave. I felt this opportunity [to sign for Al-Ahli] wouldn’t come again. Maybe it was time to leave, I’d spent five years at City and won everything.”

Best for all parties involved that Riyad Mahrez left

While the treble-winner was largely brilliant during his time at the Etihad Stadium, he had lost his place in the side during the previous campaign after a sharp decline in his performances.

Perhaps Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain still believed that Riyad Mahrez could deliver in a Manchester City shirt beyond last season.

But in all fairness, the 32-year-old had not been at his absolute best since the 2021/2022 campaign, making it the ideal time for all parties to move on in the summer.