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“Clubs Need to Be Aware”– Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Issues Warning as Players Continue to Follow Cristiano Ronaldo’s Footsteps to Saudi Pro League

Published 07/29/2023, 10:20 AM EDT

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr’s $200 million deal was questioned by several fans and analysts. However, with the arrival of the five times Ballon d’Or winner, the Saudi Pro League has become insanely successful. Not to forget, top soccer stars such as Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, and many more already shocked the fans with their transfer. Now, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has raised some concerns about Saudi Arabia’s influence on players.

Man City wingman, Riyad Mahrez, has completed his $39 million move to Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, he will now earn an incredible £ 750,000 a week for a two-year stint in the Middle East. Indeed, Mahrez’s move to Saudi Pro League came out as a shock to everyone, including Pep Guardiola. Guardiola warned top soccer clubs about Saudi Arabia’s million-dollar market.

After Cristiano Ronaldo and Riyad Mahrez’s blockbuster move, Pep Guardiola claims Saudi Arabia is a threat

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Several top soccer athletes have followed in Ronaldo’s footsteps and joined the Saudi Pro League in less than a year. Although it wasn’t a surprise, Ronaldo’s influence has surely played an important role in rising soccer’s popularity in Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, the Man City boss also shares the same opinion and recently warned top clubs about the inevitable future. Pep Guardiola recalled the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia and mentioned the change in soccer clubs since then.

He explained that no one believed so many soccer stars would join Saudi Pro League in less than a year. In his words, “Saudi Arabia has changed the market. A few months ago when Cristiano [Ronaldo] was the only one to go, no one thought this many top players would play there. In future, there will be more and that’s why clubs need to be aware.”

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However, he also revealed that the Saudi club’s lucrative financial packages weren’t easy to refuse for any player. He added, “Riyad [Mahrez] got an incredible offer and we could not say don’t do it…”

Riyad Mahrez shocked soccer fans with his whopping $39 million transfer move to Saudi club, Al Ahli. He has won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three Carabao Cups, and the Champions League title. City also revealed that the deal only went through after Al Ahli met their asking price for the Algerian winger. The Algerian national team captain will aim to settle in quickly as an enticing and competitive season of the Saudi Pro League is set to commence.

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Mahrez’s move explains why Pep Guardiola believes Saudi Arabia is a threat to other top soccer clubs. Furthermore, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see more popular soccer stars joining the Saudi Pro League.

What are your thoughts on Pep Guardiola’s claims? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Mehul Rolta

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Mehul Rolta is an eSports author at EssentiallySports since November 2020. He believes that gaming has the potential to bring a smile to a person's face. Instead of keeping his passion for gaming all to himself, he decided to share his thoughts and opinion with others.
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Edited by:

Sreeda U M