Riyad Mahrez has given an honest assessment of his future at Manchester City.
Even though the summer transfer window has barely closed, planning will already be underway for Manchester City’s next moves in the market to keep evolving an ever-improving squad.
Erling Haaland was the headline arrival this summer, and he has already transformed City’s team in just 10 games. His 14 goals already mean City have spent just £3.6m per goal on their new striker and that will only keep going down. The signings of Julian Alvarez, Manuel Akanji, and Sergio Gomez all seem to be value for money, while Kalvin Phillips could still be a good signing if he gets the chance to impress after injury.
City made a healthy profit this summer, fixing their long-standing striker problem and adapting to the departures of key midfielders and defenders. Now, attention turns to keeping the squad competitive for future seasons.
To forecast where signings will be required, City will be aware of which players’ contracts are coming to an end and who is getting older and may retire in the coming years. Ilkay Gundogan is the only senior player whose contract expires next summer, but he has maintained his composure and stated his desire to remain at the Etihad.
Then there’s Kyle Walker to deal with in 2024, though City still has three transfer windows to solve their full-back problems once and for all. The important group of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Aymeric Laporte, and Riyad Mahrez follows in 2025.
De Bruyne will be 35 by that point, although he has surely earned the right to decide how and when he wants to leave City. Keeping Bernardo may be tricky, given his desire to move closer to home and away from the Manchester climate. And while Laporte is a key player, City is well-stocked in defense to give them time to make a measured decision on his future.
Mahrez, who will also be 35 by 2025, might not be in line for a new contract given his age, but his recent comments over his future have at least bought City time to find a suitable replacement. If he was to leave before that, the current options on the wings mean there is Mahrez, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and Julian Alvarez as the realistic wing options.
Cole Palmer could be ready to play more regularly by then, but any Mahrez departure before 2025 without a new signing on the right wing would make that flank lighter in terms of depth than City may want. With Walker’s age, this is an area of the pitch that will require some attention in the coming years.
So the fact that Mahrez sees himself retiring at City, whether that is in 2025 or later, gives the club time to find a suitable replacement to evolve their right flank. He said this week: “I definitely want to finish my career at City and play as long as I can. I think I can still play for a long time.”
The planning will be well underway for life after the current squad, so City will be encouraged that players like Mahrez are willing to stay the lengths of their contract to give them the time they need.
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