Saudi League completely changed the football market: Guardiola

Seoul - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Saturday that the Saudi Pro League had "completely changed the market" and he expects more and more high-profile players to move there.

City winger Riyad Mahrez this week became just the latest big name to move to Saudi football, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and numerous others from Europe's top leagues.

Algerian international Mahrez joined Al-Ahli for a fee understood to be worth up to £30 million ($38.6 million). Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane on Saturday looked poised to join the exodus.

"The Saudi league completely changed the market," Guardiola said in Seoul on the eve of City's friendly with Atletico Madrid.

"A year ago when Cristiano Ronaldo was the first player, no one could imagine how many top, top quality, extraordinary players were going to play in the Saudi league. "In the future, it will happen more and more."

Guardiola said that he had a "special relationship" with Mahrez, even though the attacker fell from favor towards the end of his time at the English and European champions.

"He's one of the players I've seen in my career I enjoyed the most. "(He was) an important figure for the success we had during the five or six years together." bur-

Bayern Munich announced on Saturday that Senegalese striker Sadio Mane was in talks "about a change of club" with reports suggesting he was destined for Saudi side Al Nassr.

The German champions left Mane out of a friendly match in Tokyo, posting on social media: "Sadio Mane is in contract negotiations about a change of club and is therefore not in the line-up today."

The 31-year-old former Liverpool star is expected to become the latest high-profile player to join the cash-rich Saudi league. As Bild and Kicker magazine reported Mane was on his way for a medical with Al Nassr, and Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel declined to be drawn on the player's future.

"We are still in the transfer window and I would like to see what's going on and wait and see how things will happen," he told reporters after Bayern's 1-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale in Japan.

Mane would be another major signing for the club that pulled off the first coup of a raft of signings by Saudi clubs, luring Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Mane won the Champions League and Premier League in six seasons with Liverpool and was a key part of Jurgen Klopp's devastating front three with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

When Liverpool won their first English league title in 30 years in the pandemic-disrupted 2019-2020 season, Mane scored 18 goals. But in the summer of 2022, when he won the African Player of the Year, Mane decided he wanted a new challenge -- unconfirmed rumors said he had tired of sharing the limelight with Egypt's Salah at Anfield.

Bayern made a big play for Mane, promising to make him the focal point of an attack that had just lost the services of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona. After a strong start to the season at Bayern, it soon become clear that Mane was not clicking in Bavaria. In a Bundesliga game against Werder Bremen in November, Mane suffered an injury to his fibula, and his season was put on hold. The injury forced him to miss the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year in a crushing blow to Senegal's chances.

While Mane returned to the Bayern team in 2023, his problems were underlined when he became involved in a physical altercation with teammate Leroy Sane following a Champions League defeat to Manchester City.

Bayern reportedly fined Mane around 350,000 euros ($385,000) and gave him a one-match suspension for his part in the incident. He ended the season with an underwhelming 12 goals in 38 games across all competitions. He is set to quit Bayern with two years left on his contract. On the international stage, Mane helped Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2022.

Apart from Ronaldo Al Nassr has also signed this summer Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, Brazil full-back Alex Telles and Ivory Coast midfielder Seko Fofana.

Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez has joined Saudi side Al-Ahli, the two clubs announced on Friday, becoming the latest big-name player to be lured to the cash-rich league in the Gulf state.

The 32-year-old Algerian winger joined Pep Guardiola's team in 2018 from Leicester, winning 11 major trophies at the club. "The wait is over: Riyad is real," the Saudi Pro League club said in a social media post. City agreed a fee understood to be worth up to £30 million ($38.6 million) with Al-Ahli last week. "To play for Manchester City has been an honor and privilege," Mahrez told City's website.

"I came to City to win trophies and enjoy my football and I achieved all that and so much more. "I have had five unforgettable years with this football club, working with unbelievable players, fantastic supporters, and the best manager in the world." City's director of football Txiki Begiristain paid tribute to the Algeria star. "There are few wingers that possess his levels of skill and technique in world football, and he will be missed, but everyone will wish him all the best as he begins a new chapter in his career," he said.

Liverpool and Al-Ettifaq confirmed on Thursday that Reds' captain Jordan Henderson was moving to the Saudi league. France striker Karim Benzema left Real Madrid to join Al-Ittihad, following in the footsteps of his former Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr.

Other Premier League players who have moved to Saudi Arabia include Chelsea's N'Golo Kante and another former Liverpool team-mate of Henderson's, Roberto Firmino.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson completed his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq on Thursday, becoming the latest big-name player to be lured to the Gulf state.

The England midfielder, who posted a farewell message on Wednesday, has ended a 12-year stay at Anfield, during which he won every major trophy. "We can confirm @JHenderson has completed a transfer to Al-Ettifaq," Liverpool said on their social media channels. Al-Ettifaq posted: "A leader. A warrior. We're simply thrilled to have him."

The 33-year-old, who played 492 matches for Liverpool, scoring 33 goals, has finalized a deal with reported wages of up to £ 700,000 a week. Liverpool are due to receive an initial £12 million ($15.5 million) from the Saudi club. Reds manager Jurgen Klopp paid tribute to his departing skipper. "I know it was a really, really tough decision for Hendo and I was around or with him all the way," he said. "It's sad, absolutely strange because he is the only captain I had here at Liverpool, but I think it is exciting for him as well.

"We will miss him, without a shadow of a doubt, that's clear -- as a man and as a player," Henderson said his goodbyes to the club's fans on Wednesday. "It's hard to put these last 12 years into words and it's even harder to say goodbye," he said in an Instagram post. "I will always be a Red. Until the day I die. "Thank you for everything. You'll never walk alone."

Henderson joined Liverpool from Sunderland in 2011 and succeeded Steven Gerrard as skipper at Anfield in 2015. He led the club to their first English league title in 30 years in 2020, a year after winning the Champions League.

The England international will be reunited in Saudi Arabia with Gerrard, who is Al-Ettifaq's coach. France striker Karim Benzema left Real Madrid to join Al-Ittihad, following in the footsteps of his former Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr. Other Premier League players who have moved to Saudi Arabia include Chelsea's N'Golo Kante and another former Liverpool team-mate of Henderson's Roberto Firmino.