LONDON: Winning the Champions League is the main reason Riyad Mahrez wanted to join Manchester City for a club record fee of 拢60 million ($79million) he told a press conference on Thursday.
The 27-year-old Algerian international forward had wanted to move to the champions in January but City baulked at the 拢80 million fee Leicester demanded at the time.
Mahrez, though, said he did not wish to discuss the frustrations of the January transfer window and rather set his sights on what he can achieve at Manchester City.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a club who wants to win this type of trophy. The Champions League is for big clubs and Manchester City are a big club,鈥� said Mahrez.
鈥淭hey have everything to try to win the Champions League.
鈥淚t is a goal. Last season they lost in the quarter-final and I know they have the ambition to go further the next season.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here, why I made the decision to come here, because I want to be part of this.鈥�
Mahrez, who was pivotal to Leicester鈥檚 extraordinary title win in 2016 contributing 17 goals, said the size of the fee does not bother him or put pressure on him.
鈥淭he prices have been big in every country. This does not affect me,鈥� said Mahrez, who only cost Leicester 拢400,000 when they signed him in 2014.
Mahrez, who made 179 appearances for Leicester, scoring 48 times, admits there is a fine array of attacking talent already at City, including such as Belgian Kevin de Bruyne, Argentinian Sergio Aguero, German Leroy Sane and others, but he isn鈥檛 losing any sleep over where he slots in.
鈥淚 never thought about this. I am very confident about myself.鈥�