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July 28, 2023 / 9:59 AM

Riyad Mahrez leaves Manchester City for Saudi soccer club Al-Ahli

Riyad Mahrez (L) spent the last five seasons with Premier League power Manchester City. File Photo by Peter Powell/EPA-EFE

Riyad Mahrez (L) spent the last five seasons with Premier League power Manchester City. File Photo by Peter Powell/EPA-EFE

July 28 (UPI) -- Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez left Manchester City of England's Premier League to join Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli, the soccer clubs announced Friday.

"To play for Manchester City has been an honor and privilege," Mahrez said in a news release. "I came to City to win trophies and enjoy my football and I achieved all that and so much more."

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Mahrez, 32, totaled 78 goals and 59 assists in 236 appearances for the Sky Blues. He signed with Manchester City in 2018 from fellow Premier League club Leicester City. He scored a career-high 24 goals in 2021-22 for the Sky Blues.

Mahrez won four Premier League titles in his five seasons with Manchester City. The Sky Blues won the treble, including Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup titles, in Mahrez's final season.

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Al-Ahli played in the First Division League last season after being relegated from the Roshn Saudi League, the top league in Saudi Arabia. The club was promoted back to the Roshn Saudi League for the 2023-24 campaign.

Roshn, a real estate division of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, signed a sponsorship deal with the Saudi Pro League last August.

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The PIF, which is attempting to merge its controversial LIV Golf Series with the PGA Tour to form a new golf venture, also owns Al-Ahli and fellow Roshn Saudi League clubs Al Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al Nassr.

Mahrez is just the latest in a string of former European soccer stars lured to a PIF-owned team over the last year.

Al-Ahli signed former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino earlier this month. Al-Ittihad signed Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante last month. Al Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo in December.

The investment fund is valued at more than $600 billion.

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