City sign Mahrez in club record £ 60m move
London, July 11: Algerian international Riyad Mahrez secured his move to Manchester City on Tuesday, with the Premier League champions paying a reported club- record £ 60 million for the winger.
It comes seven months after City refused to pay Leicester’s asking price of £ 80 million, having offered £ 50 million plus young winger Patrick Roberts, who was valued at £ 15 million.
This time though Leicester said they had sold him in a club- record deal.
The 27- year- old — a pivotal figure when Leicester stormed to a shock Premier League title in 2016 — signed a five- year contract.
“I am so pleased to have joined City, a side playing great football under Pep Guardiola,” Mahrez told the Manchester City website. “Watching them from afar has been a pleasure.
“Pep is committed to playing attacking football and City’s performances last season were outstanding.”
Mahrez, who was so upset at not gaining his move to City at the beginning of the year he sat out two matches, said his new club were revolutionising the game in England.
“They’re redefining the English game and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Mahrez.
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain said Mahrez’s attacking qualities would add even more of a cutting edge to a side which already has an abundance of talent such as Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero.