Riyad Mahrez transfer latest as winger closes in on £30m move to Al Ahly

Manchester City have accepted a £30m offer for Riyad Mahrez from Saudi Arabian side Al Ahly.

The winger was a notable absentee from the Blues’ travelling squad which was announced on Wednesday for friendly matches in Japan and South Korea. ManchesterWorld understand City have given the player permission to miss the pre-season tour as he moves closer to completing a transfer to Al Ahly.

There is no suggestion from City that Mahrez has done anything untoward or attempted to force through a deal, with a price worth up to £30m agreed on Wednesday afternoon.

Mahrez has spent five years at the Etihad and has won four Premier League titles, in addition to lifting the trophy during his time with Leicester City. The Algerian also played a significant role in the treble-winning side of 2022/23 and played 47 times, scoring 15 goals.

Yet Pep Guardiola’s penchant for omitting Mahrez from big games caused frustration in the latter stages of the season, and the attacker didn’t start a game in the Champions League after the last-16 stage. Mahrez didn't feature at all in June's FA Cup final, and played just 18 minutes in the high-profile Premier League meeting against Arsenal in late April.

Yet, his importance in the City squad should not be understated, with only Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez scoring more goals last season, while Mahrez has netted doubled figures in all five seasons as a City player.

Meanwhile, Kyle Walker was named in the group that will fly to Tokyo. The full-back has reportedly drawn interest from Bayern Munich and could still leave the club this summer. Aymeric Laporte and Bernardo Silva were also included, despite speculation surrounding their futures.

Youngsters Oscar Bobb and James McAtee are part of the 25-man squad, along with new signing Mateo Kovacic.

Man City travelling squad

Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo, Mateo Kovacic, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Stefan Ortega Moreno, Kevin De Bruyne, Julian Alvarez, Bernardo Silva, Sergio Gomez, Manuel Akanji, Ederson, Maximo Perrone, Scott Carson, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, James McAtee.