JAKARTA - Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said the Saudi Arabian Pro League had "completely changed the world player transfer market". He expects more star players to move there.
City winger Riyad Mahrez this week became the player with the latest big name to move to play in Saudi Arabia, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema who had already moved to the country.
Mahrez joined Al-Ahli with a transfer value of 30 million (around Rp. 582 billion). Bayern Munich striker Sadio Mane is reportedly one step away from joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
"The Saudi Arabian league has really changed the world player transfer market," Guardiola was quoted as saying by AFP Via Antara.
"One year ago when Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player, no one expected how many top players would play in Saudi Arabia."
"In the future, this will still happen again and again," continued the Spaniard who was in Seoul, South Korea ahead of the pre-season match against Atletico Madrid on Sunday (30/7).
Guardiola said that it had a "special relationship" with Mahrez, although his playing time was a bit towards the end of his career with Manchester City.
"He is an important player for our success in five or six years together."
Meanwhile, Madura United, who appeared against Barito Putera at the same time as the Persija Jakarta match, successfully completed the match with three points through the final score 2-1.
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