Riyad Mahrez explains why he left Manchester City and drops hint that he could return to Europe

Riyad Mahrez has revealed he made the decision to leave Manchester City as he felt the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli may not come again.

The Algerian icon ended a five-year stay at the Etihad and joined Al-Ahli in a £30 million deal. The 32-year-old was a massive hit with the Cityzens, scoring 78 goals and providing 59 assists in 236 games.

Mahrez won 12 major trophies with Manchester City, including the continental treble in his final season. He claims that he could have stayed with the Premier League giants as he had two years left on his contract (via The Daily Mail):

"I had two years left on my contract with Manchester City, I could have stayed."

However, Mahrez was enticed by the prospect of joining Al-Ahli and felt he'd accomplished all there was to at City:

"It was really me who decided to leave. I felt that this opportunity (to join Al-Ahli) would not come again. Maybe it was time to leave because I had spent five years at City and won everything."

Mahrez contributed towards Manchester City's remarkable 2022-23 season. He managed 15 goals and 13 assists in 47 games across competitions.

However, the former Leicester City winger watched the Cityzens' 1-0 UEFA Champions League final win against Inter Milan from the bench. He suggested that he has unfinished business in Europe's elite club competition:

"To be honest, I still have a taste of unfinished business. In the Champions League, I did not play the semi-final or the final. In previous seasons, I always started in the Champions League while always being impactful for my team."

Mahrez has made an excellent start to life with Al-Ahli, bagging six goals and seven assists in 14 games across competitions. He signed a four-year deal with the Saudi Pro League club.

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Pep Guardiola hails Mahrez's Manchester City replacement Jeremy Doku

Jeremy Doku has been a revelation for City.

Manchester City replaced Mahrez with Jeremy Doku in the summer, signing the Belgian attacker from Rennes for £55.5 million. The 21-year-old has made a sensational start to his Etihad career, with three goals and six assists in 14 games across competitions.

Doku became the eighth player in Premier League history to provide four assists in a single game. He also netted in a 6-1 demolition over Bournemouth on November 4.

This type of form was largely why Guardiola opted to start Doku in City's 4-4 draw against Chelsea last Sunday (November 12). The Spanish coach labeled the Belgium international as 'special' (via the aforementioned source):

"Jeremy is special in final third, he is a young player and now we have to see how he behaves in these stages, he has done it and other times played really good."

Doku has helped Manchester City in their quest to successfully retain their Premier League crown. The Cityzens sit top of the table after 12 games with a one-point lead over second-placed Liverpool.