Tuesday’s AFC Champions League play-off between the Saudi Pro League team and Shabab Al-Ahli did not go well for Cristiano Ronaldo by halftime.

Before the half, he was hauled down in the area twice and had three separate penalty appeals denied. He then had his shot stopped by an Al-Ahli defender.

Ronaldo remonstrated with the officials at length and could be heard shouting: “wake up!”. He also pushed away a man who appeared to trying to take a selfie with him on the touchline.

Ronaldo endured a similarly frustrating night in Al-Nassr’s last match, struggling to find his groove as his team fell to a shock Saudi Pro League defeat to Al-Taawoun.

As a result, the season has started with two losses in a row for Luis Castro’s team, who also lost to Al-Ettifaq in their season opener due to an injury to their talisman.

Fortunately for Ronaldo, his team overcame their first-half setbacks to defeat their Emirati opponents 4-2 in the final.

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In order to facilitate their third senior departure of the summer, Manchester City have accepted a bid for Aymeric Laporte.

The player is now free to negotiate terms with Saudi club Al Nassr with the goal of persuading him to leave the Treble champions for a different challenge.

Former City teammate Riyad Mahrez has already left this summer to join the emerging league, signing for Al Ahli for £30m.

Laporte had been considering leaving the team the entire summer after feeling let down by the lack of starts he received as Pep Guardiola’s team made history the previous campaign.

He has trained with the Blues and appeared off the bench in their Premier League opener at Burnley, though there hasn’t been much interest in him this summer.

The City defender is now in Greece with the team as they get ready for Wednesday night’s Super Cup match against Sevilla. After losing 2-1 to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq in their league opener this week, Al Nassr, a team that includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane, are expecting to close the deal quickly.

City is aiming to strengthen in the remaining two weeks of the window after losing Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan this summer, but they might not attempt to replace Laporte considering that they already paid £78 million on the promising 21-year-old defender Josko Gvardiol.

Although Guardiola said that the Super Cup may be too soon for a complete debut considering Gvardiol’s lack of preseason training with the team thus far, Manu Akanji expressed this week his confidence that Gvardiol will soon demonstrate his talent for the Blues.

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Riyad Mahrez has joined Saudi Pro League team Al Ahli, and Manchester City has officially announced his exit.

The winger arrived from Leicester City in 2018 and enjoyed an illustrious tenure at the Etihad Stadium, winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League trophy as part of the treble last season.

He managed 236 appearances in all competitions for City, scoring 78 goals and dishing out 59 assists for Pep Guardiola’s team.

Thank you, @Mahrez22! 💫🇩🇿 pic.twitter.com/omGQFqfkzl

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 28, 2023

“To play for Manchester City has been an honour and privilege,” Mahrez told club media. “I came to City to win trophies and enjoy my football and I achieved all that and so much more.

“I have had five unforgettable years with this football club, working with unbelievable players, fantastic supporters, and the best manager in the world. I’ve made a lifetime of wonderful memories and the manner of our Premier League title wins and the battles we’ve had with Liverpool and, last year, Arsenal, underlined our collective desire and mentality to be the best.

“Manchester City will forever be a huge and happy part of my life.”

🩵 https://t.co/Fz9ikEh7BT

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 28, 2023

Club director Txiki Begiristain added: “Riyad has been a major factor in our amazing successes over the past five years and his contribution will not be forgotten. He is a wonderful footballer to watch and leaves us with so many great memories.

“There are few wingers that possess his levels of skill and technique in world football, and he will be missed, but everyone will wish him all the best as he begins a new chapter in his career.”

Mahrez, who had previously shown Pep Guardiola his value in big games, was devastated by his exclusion from both the Champions League and FA Cup finals, as was previously mentioned. Instead, he was content to observe as City went on to win both of the finals and a famous treble by beating Arsenal to win the Premier League.

At Al Ahli, Mahrez will team up with Roberto Firmino and Edouard Mendy, while a transfer for Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin is reportedly on the horizon.

.@Mahrez22 joins Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club 👇

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 28, 2023

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Riyad Mahrez will be sold by Manchester City to Al-Ahli for €40 million (£34.7 million).

The 32-year-old will now miss City’s preseason trip to South Korea and Japan and will have a medical on Thursday with the Saudi Pro League team.

Al-Ahli and Mahrez have agreed to a three-year contract, and according to The Athletic, Al-Ahli will pay City €35 million (£30.4 million) and an additional €5 million (£4.3 million) in add-ons.

Edouard Mendy from Chelsea and Roberto Firmino from Liverpool have already been acquired by Al-Ahli this summer.

They are also nearing an agreement to sign Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle United for €25 million (£21.5 million).

Mahrez, meanwhile, finishes his nine-year stay in England after winning five Premier League titles, including one with Leicester City in 2016 and four with Manchester City.

The international from Algeria has 10 trophies to his name while playing for City, and he contributed to the team’s treble-winning campaign last year.

Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan, who joined Barcelona earlier this summer on a free transfer, are now no longer at City.

Kyle Walker is also expected to complete his move to Bayern Munich before the end of the window, while City remain open to offloading Joao Cancelo after allowing him to leave on loan in January.

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Chelsea have confirmed goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has officially left the club in order to join Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League.

Under previous manager Thomas Tuchel, Senegal was the Blues’ primary goalkeeper and was vital to their successful Champions League run in 2020–21, allowing only twice in seven games.

The 31-year-old Senegal international is the newest player to leave Stamford Bridge during the Premier League club’s ongoing summer of change.

After Kalidou Koulibaly and N’Golo Kante left for teams in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, respectively, he is the third player to leave Chelsea for a side in the Saudi Pro League.

A statement from Chelsea said: “Edouard Mendy has left Chelsea after three seasons and completed a permanent transfer to Saudi Professional League side Al-Ahli.
“The 31-year-old will be best remembered at Stamford Bridge for the key role he played on our run to Champions League glory in 2021.
“Having started his career in the lower tiers of French football – and even spending several months without a club – Mendy rose to the pinnacle of European football with Chelsea.
“A hugely likeable character on and off the pitch, he will always have a place in our history for his significant contributions to our 2021 Champions League triumph.
“For that, and for everything else, we are grateful. Good luck, Edou! “

Edou Mendy has left Chelsea and joined Al-Ahli FC. ✍️

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 28, 2023

Mendy initially joined the Blues in 2020, moving from Rennes, and helped the team win the Champions League that year while compiling a club-record nine clean sheets.

In addition to playing a key role in his nation’s triumphant AFCON title win that year, this resulted in him earning the 2021 Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award.

However, following a slump in form and a flurry of management changes at Chelsea, Mendy fell out of favor, with Kepa Arrizabalaga chosen.

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The summer exodus continues at Chelsea, with Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy apparently agreeing to move to Saudi Arabia.

Another prominent player is expected to leave Chelsea. The sale of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy by Chelsea to Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli has been finalized.

The Senegalese goalkeeper has one year left on his deal, but Chelsea and the player were unable to come to terms on an extension. As a result, the player is reportedly planning to go to Saudi Arabia.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano, who first broke the story, later confirmed that Chelsea and Al Ahli have verbally agreed to sell Mendy.

All that’s needed to do is sign the contracts since the goalie and the club have come to terms on a three-year deal last week.

Understand Chelsea have reached full verbal agreement with Saudi’s Al Ahli to sell Edouard Mendy. 🚨⚪️🟢🇸🇦 #CFC

Mendy agreed personal terms with Al Ahli on three year deal, as revealed last week.

Contracts to be checked, then signed if all goes to plan.

Here we go 🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/8OsjHSTJRz

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2023

Additionally, according to Fabrizio, another Chelsea player, Hakim Ziyech, is reportedly ready to transfer to Saudi Arabia after the Blues and Al Nassr reached a complete deal about the winger’s sale.

Ziyech has also agreed to a contract that runs until 2026, much like Mendy, thus all that is left to do is for the clubs to exchange contracts. Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in January, will be joined by Ziyech.

In the summer of 2020, Mendy and Ziyech both joined Chelsea. They were both a member of the squad that won the Champions League that same year.

They had coincidentally both lost favour with the team, and Ziyech had come very close to leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in January when the deal fell through at the eleventh hour.

N’golo Kante’s transfer to Al Ittihad has already been announced, and players like Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been connected with moves to the region. This is part of a larger exodus of players from Stamford Bridge to Saudi Arabia.

Understand Al Nassr have reached full verbal agreement with Hakim Ziyech to join the club. Personal terms agreed. 🚨🟡🔵🇸🇦

Ziyech will sign until June 2026, if all goes to plan.

Agreement reached also with Chelsea, waiting to prepare, check then sign contracts.

Here we go! 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/wywVV8cocB

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2023

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