Two-time Premier League winner Riyad Mahrez has explained that Liverpool “were interested” in his services before he joined Manchester City, but Mohamed Salah’s transfer to Anfield thwarted any potential deal in 2017.
The superstar attacker Riyad Mahrez proved to be one of the most perspicacious acquisitions in Premier League history following his £450,000 move to Leicester City from French outfit Le Havre in the summer of 2014.
Mahrez made 179 appearances for the Foxes across three seasons, netting 46 times in the process. The African playmaker earned the PFA Player of the Year award in 2015-16 and played a pivotal role in Leicester City’s unbelievable title triumph under then-manager Claudio Ranieri.
Although Leicester did admirably well to retain the 29-year-old at the King Power Stadium for the following season amid intense transfer speculation, the winger was integral during the Foxes’ run to the Champions League quarter-finals.
The next summer, Mahrez handed in a transfer request following interest from Manchester City but was made to wait a year before securing a £60 million switch to the Etihad Stadium as Pep Guardiola wanted him.
However, Mahrez recently revealed that he could have ended up taking a completely different career path, having been targeted by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool while at the peak of his powers at the King Power.
As destiny would have it, the Reds opted to bring in another superstar in the form of Mohamed Salah from Roma instead and Mahrez revealed the details of the failed move during a recent interview with beIN Sports on an Instagram Live Chat on Sunday.
The Man City forward admitted that there was interest from Liverpool and he could have joined the Merseyside club. He said, “Before signing for Manchester City, there was interest from Liverpool in me, but as soon as they took Mohamed Salah, it was finished.”
In a rather difficult first season under Pep Guardiola, Mahrez struggled to adapt to life at the Etihad Stadium but enjoyed a far more prominent role at Manchester City this season until the current campaign halted by the coronavirus outbreak in the UK.
Mahrez registered 8 goals and 14 assists in 37 outings for Man City having rediscovered some of his consistency during his Leicester City days. He was given an opportunity due to the injury picked up by Leroy Sane.
