Mahrez Reveals What He Will Do At Man City Ahead Of New Season

Riyad Mahrez has welcomed the competition for places at Manchester City; one he reckons is a positive that would improve the club.

The winger completed a club-record £60illion move from Leicester City to become the Citizens’ first summer signing.

Following their triumph in the English top-flight last season, the Algeria international faces a fight for a starting role in his new team.

In the absence of most of City’s regular first-team players, Mahrez has featured in the club’s last two pre-season games [1-0 loss to Dortmund and 2-1 loss to Liverpool] in the US but was replaced by Patrick Roberts in the 72nd minute of both encounters.

However, the 2016 African Footballer of the Year is looking forward to the challenge of securing a starting role in Pep Guardiola’s squad and help the club next season.

“It’s really good so far, it’s really good. We’ve trained good. We’ve been working very hard,” Mahrez told ESPN FC.

“Now we’re on to the last two weeks before the first game, so we need to keep going, working and we will see.

“I don’t know [what Pep thinks I can add], but if he bought me maybe he thinks this of course. I’m here, I’m part of the team, I’m part of the squad. I’m here to help with my quality and that’s it.

“I think it makes it good because the competition improves the players, improves the squad, improves the team. It can only be good, I think, the competition.”

The 2015-16 PFA Player of the Year handed a transfer request to his former club back in January but was blocked by the Foxes – an action that triggered the winger to go AWOL from training.