Riyad Mahrez reveals why his Barcelona move never happened

Riyad Mahrez has opened up about the transfer that never happened and the club he once hoped to join most.

Speaking about his career path, the Al-Ahli winger said Barcelona was his dream destination, especially because of Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi.

He explained that he also spoke with Real Madrid and Manchester United before moving to Manchester City, but a deal never materialized because Leicester City demanded a high fee and he did not have a release clause in his contract.

Mahrez added that this left him stuck at Leicester for two more years, even though he had already been considering a move to one of Europe’s biggest sides.

The Algeria international also pointed to N’Golo Kanté as an example of a smarter contract decision, saying Kanté included a €30 million release clause when he later moved to Chelsea, while he had rejected that kind of protection himself.