Saudi Arabia have set their sights on Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez this summer after being rejected by Lionel Messi in recent hours.
The Saudi Pro League, is on a mission to reinvent itself as one of the best leagues in World football, and has already agreed record deals to see N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema join Cristiano Ronaldo as the headline acts in the middle east.
Offers have also gone out to Sergio Ramos, Marco Verratti, Jordi Alba and Alexis Sanchez as they look to strengthen the foreign contingent in each side in the division.
They also believed that they had landed Lionel Messi, who is now a free agent after his contract with Paris Saint Germain expired this summer, with Al-Hilal ready to make him the highest paid player of all time.
However, in an astonishing U-turn Messi has opted instead to head to the MLS and link up with old teammate Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami, leaving Saudi Arabia reportedly furious that their own tourism ambassador has turned them down.
That has not deterred their raid on talent across Europe, however, and according to CBS Sports they are now turning their attentions to Algerian star Riyad Mahrez, who has fallen somewhat down the pecking order at the Etihad.
They claim that the ‘Al Ahli president has flown in to London to join PIF delegation’ in their attempts to sign the winger, who still has two years left to run on a contract that he renewed just last season.
Yet to see a transfer fee paid for any of the stars recruited to the middle east in the past 12 months, it could set them back a significant chunk of change to tempt City into parting ways with the 32-year-old, but it would certainly be a statement signing.
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