Manchester City duo could join Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia

Treble winners Manchester City will begin the defence of their Premier League title next season with a trip to face newly-promoted Burnley.

The game will see former City midfielder Vincent Kompany return to The Etihad for the first time since guiding the Clarets to the Championship title.

Kompany’s side stormed to the title during his first season as manager at Turf Moor, while City trailed Arsenal in the Premier League table for much of the season before leapfrogging the Gunners in the final weeks of the campaign.

City followed up their league and FA Cup triumphs with a first ever Champions League win after beating Italian side Inter Milan on Saturday, but it appears that they now face a battle to keep hold of two of their stars.

As per 90min, both Riyad Mahrez and Kyle Walker are being targeted by Saudi Arabian clubs this summer.

A number of high-profile stars from across Europe have been linked with moves to the Pro League in recent weeks, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational transfer to Al-Nassr back in December.

Karim Benzema has since joined another Saudi Arabian side, and the likes of N’Golo Kante and Lionel Messi have also been linked with moves to the country, although the latter will now join MLS side Inter Miami.

Walker helped City to win the Champions League for the first time ever on Saturday

Both Mahrez and Walker will enter into the final year of their respective contracts with City in the coming weeks, which puts their futures in some doubt.

Walker, 33, joined City from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2017 and has since played a crucial role for the Citizens during an extremely successful spell for the club.

In total the full-back has made 254 appearances for the Manchester outfit across all competitions, winning 14 trophies including five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time with the club.

The England international remains a regular for Guardiola’s side, having made 39 appearances this season.

Mahrez, meanwhile, joined City from Leicester City back in 2018 and has since made 236 appearances, scoring 78 goals and providing 59 assists.

The report claims that talks over contract extensions are not currently taking place with either player, despite the pair being able to sign pre-contract agreements with any foreign club in January.

Walker’s former club Sheffield United are also said to be interested in the defender, while Aston Villa and West Ham United are also monitoring the player’s situation.

Despite the interest from numerous Premier League clubs, it is claimed that the Saudi Arabian Pro League are hopeful of luring Walker to the Middle East and could soon offer him a lucrative deal.

Mahrez, who is said to have attracted interest from both Al Ittihad and Al Ahli, is reportedly pushing for a move away from The Etihad and City will not stand in his way if a suitable offer is made.