Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez is currently indicating that he does not want to move to the Saudi Pro League this summer.
Clubs from that league have recently shown a willingness to spend big money on a wide range of players, some the most notable names in world football and others in the latter stages of their career.
As it stands, Karim Benzema is the only player to confirm a switch to the Middle East, joining Al-Ittihad, but there are other star names who could soon join him such as Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante.
Over the weekend, though, it emerged that Mahrez could become the next target at a time when the playmaker may find himself at somewhat of a career crossroads.
The 32-year-old has just played a key role in City winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble, contributing 15 goals and 13 assists from 47 appearances.
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However, despite that level of influence, Mahrez remained as an unused substitute for both the FA Cup and Champions League finals over the past two weekends.
With two years left on his contract, discussions may soon be had over his future, yet it appears that he is not ready to jump at the opportunity to move to Saudi Arabia.
According to Football Insider, Mahrez has turned down the opportunity to pen a £120m contract at Al-Ahli.
The report suggests that the Algeria international was given a chance to earn that money over a three-year deal with the newly-promoted side.
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Despite that rejection, it is alleged that Al-Ahli are prepared to return with an improved offer in an attempt to boost their squad ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
Unlike in many of the other cases where players have or may be leaving for Saudi Arabia on free transfers, Al-Ahli would need to pay a fee to City on this occasion.
Pep Guardiola is also unlikely to give the green light to an exit for Mahrez unless he has either identified or signed a replacement to take his spot in the squad.
In his five years at the Etihad Stadium, Mahrez has been rarely unavailable, making a total of 169 starts and 67 substitute appearances in all competitions.
Darren Plant
