Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has sent a warning over the current levels of spending from Saudi Pro League clubs after the sale of Riyad Mahrez.
Mahrez left City to join Al Ahli in a £30 million deal earlier in July, with the Algeria international becoming the latest high-profile player to move to Saudi Arabia.
A key member of the squad since his arrival from Leicester in 2018, the 32-year-old scored 78 goals across 236 appearances in all competitions for Guardiola's side.
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His last City appearance was in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, as City became the first English team since Manchester United in 1999 to win the traditional treble.
He is the first player that City have lost to a Saudi Pro League side this summer, though, with Guardiola managing to keep hold of his star players.
But the City boss admitted that the club were effectively forced into rubberstamping the deal given Mahrez's desire to get it done, and sent a warning over the state of the transfer market.
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Guardiola sends Saudi Pro League warning
Guardiola compared the desire of players to go to the Saudi Pro League with the times that preceded Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in January - and stated that the division's spending has changed the transfer market.
He explained (quotes via Daily Mail): "A few months ago, when Cristiano was the only one to go, no-one thought this many top, top players would play in the Saudi league.
"In the future, there will be more, and that's why clubs need to be aware of what is happening.
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"Saudi is not about being a threat - it is a reality. They want to create a strong league and, so far, they are the league who can do it.
"The Premier League spent more than the others because the organisation is better and the broadcast rights are higher. The Saudi league, I don't know how long they will sustain that.
"But the players want to take this experience and play in that league. Saudi Arabia has changed the market."
On Mahrez, the Spaniard said: "Riyad got an incredible offer and that's why we could not say, 'Don't do it'. Our thoughts were for him to stay here, definitely."
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Riyad Mahrez, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Saudi Pro League, Premier League, Transfers