Manchester City sign Riyad Mahrez for club-record £60 million from Leicester City | Sportsmonks
Sportsmonks

Manchester City sign Riyad Mahrez for club-record £60 million from Leicester City

Manchester City have completed a club-record £60 million move for Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez. The Leicester City forward underwent a medical before signing on the dotted lines.

City have long been admirers of the Algerian and even attempted to rope him in January earlier this year, but their four bids (including one on Deadline Day) were met with a cold shoulder from the Foxes.

It finally required City to break their transfer record to bring him to The Etihad. Mahrez now replaces French defender Aymeric Laporte, who cost the club £57m in January.

Mahrez was one of Leicester's most important players in the 2015/16 season, helping them to a shock title win under Claudio Ranieri whilst also winning the PFA Player of the Year for his displays. 

The Algerian was not been training with his Leicester teammates this preseason, having been granted extra leave, and is expected to join up with his new squad in Manchester. 

Leicester, it seems, were prepared for his departure as they picked up James Maddison from Norwich in a deal worth £24m. The 21-year-old is highly rated by his peers and considered as a future English international.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how exactly Mahrez will fit into this City side. Raheem Sterling has found a new lease of life under Pep Guardiola while Leroy Sane won the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season.

It will be extremely hard for Pep to leave either of those two out of his side, meaning Mahrez might have to remain content with a place on the bench, at least for the start of the season.

The 27-year-old becomes City's first signing of what has been an unusually quiet summer for Pep Guardiola. By this time last year, he had already captured the likes of Bernardo Silva and Ederson whilst also putting deals in place for Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo.

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