Riyad Mahrez has revealed that his biggest ambition in football was to wear the famous Barcelona shirt and play alongside Lionel Messi.
The Algerian winger, who later became one of Manchester City's most important players, has shown how close he was to a completely different path in his climb to the top.
The dream for Barcelona that didn't come true
Mahrez has developed into one of the Premier League's most feared strikers during his time at Leicester City. However, the Al-Ahly star has admitted he once preferred a move to the Camp Nou over a move to the Etihad Stadium.
Speaking in an interview with Koora Break, the 35-year-old revealed that he dreams of representing Barcelona in its modern golden era.
After playing a crucial role in Leicester's historic title win in 2016, Mahrez was one of the most sought-after players in Europe. Although he only stayed at the King Power Stadium for two more years, he has confirmed that he held serious talks with some of the continent's biggest clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Mahrez explains his dream with Messi
Mahrez spoke openly about his intentions and the reasons why he failed to transfer to the Catalan giants.
"My dream was to play for Barcelona with Guardiola and Messi. Before joining City, I spoke to many teams. I spoke to Real Madrid, Barcelona and United, but Leicester wanted very high fees to let me leave and I didn't have a release clause, so I couldn't join those teams," he said.
Leicester contract pledge
Comparing his situation to that of former teammate N'Golo Kante, Mahrez admitted that the lack of a release clause in his contract made it difficult for him to leave. Kante moved to Chelsea shortly after Leicester's title win, while Mahrez was unable to follow the same path as quickly due to the terms he had agreed to in his contract.
Reflecting on that period, the Algerian said:
"Kante was smarter to include a €30m release clause in his contract to join Chelsea, while I refused to do so. That forced me to stay at Leicester for another two years."
This contractual detail gave Leicester complete control over his future, causing Barcelona and Real Madrid to back out due to the high price tag.
Manchester City's success
Although he didn't realise his dream of playing in Spain, Mahrez's career was not damaged. In 2018, he secured a move to Manchester City for £60m, where he developed into one of Pep Guardiola's most reliable players.
His spell in Manchester was hugely successful and solidified his status as one of the greatest African footballers to ever play in the Premier League.
By the time he left for the Saudi Pro League in 2023, Mahrez had built up an enviable trophy cabinet. With Manchester City he won four Premier League titles, five domestic trophies and, in his final season with the club, finally lifted the Champions League trophy. So, although the dream of Barcelona did not come true, his career reached extraordinary heights. /GazetaExpress/
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