Riyad Mahrez says Leicester City priced him out of potential transfers to Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Mahrez starred as Leicester won the Premier League against all odds in 2015-16, registering 28 goal involvements (17 goals, 11 assists) in 37 top-flight games.
Only team-mate Jamie Vardy (30) contributed to more goals in the Premier League that season, as the Foxes completed the most remarkable of triumphs.
Mahrez spent another two seasons at Leicester before he joined Manchester City for a reported £60m fee, then the record for an African player.
The Algerian went on to make 236 appearances for Man City across all competitions, scoring 78 goals and providing 56 assists, helping Pep Guardiola's team win four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League, before leaving for Al-Ahli in 2023.
Yet matters might have been very different had Leicester been open to interest in Mahrez from United, as well as Spanish giants Barca and Madrid, before his switch to Man City.
"My dream was to play for Barcelona with Guardiola and [Lionel] Messi," Mahrez told Koora Break.
"I spoke with many teams before going to Man City. I spoke with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and United, but Leicester were asking for very high sums of money to let me go, and I didn't have a release clause, so I couldn't go to those teams."
At the time, Mahrez wished he had insisted on a release clause in his Leicester contract.
"[N'Golo] Kante was smarter to include a £30m clause in his contract to go to Chelsea, while I had rejected it, which forced me to stay two more years at Leicester," he added.
Expanding on how his move to Man City came about, Mahrez said: "Guardiola approached me and said, 'I'd really like you to be with me, you're an incredible player and you'd fit right in with my style of play.
"In January [2018], City wanted me and made four offers. I called the Leicester owner to try and convince him to accept them, but he wouldn't answer and refused to sell me.
"City told me, 'Don't worry, we'll sign you in the summer,' and sure enough, they did sign me in the summer."
Donsabjr
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And that turns out to be a good move for both parties 🥳