Guardiola has Man City’s next Mahrez within reach – and he’s BETTER than Saka!

Robin Bairner

28 Jul 2023 14:31 BST
3 min read

Man City trio Aymeric Laporte, Riyadh Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan. — © ProShots

Manchester City confirmed on Friday that Riyad Mahrez has left the club to join the ranks of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

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The 32-year-old Mahrez played a not-insignificant role for Pep Guardiola’s side as they won the treble last season, scoring 15 goals and adding 13 assists in 47 matches. He leaves a considerable gap to fill, then.

In order to do so, Guardiola can turn to the strength of the City Football Group and, in particular, Troyes, where 18-year-old Wilson Odobert has shown potential to suggest he is a player who could follow Mahrez’s atypical career path.

The Algeria international first moved to the Premier League from France’s second tier, where Troyes will play next season after relegation, and it is not unthinkable that Odobert could follow a similar path after impressing in Ligue 1 during the 32 outings he made last season.

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Odobert can be City's next Mahrez

The teenager, who started his career as a youth in the PSG academy, also has a style that Guardiola likes. In the past, Pep has been linked with a move for Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka, who has since committed himself to the Gunners by signing a new long-term deal, but Odobert’s game has similarities.

© SciSports - Odobert is similar to Saka in style

He is a player who loves to be direct and is a skilful dribbler, not unlike Mahrez in this regard. He can also act as a wide playmaker, though, which is the role that the Algerian undertook at City last season and has been done by Saka in the past at Arsenal.

One clear difference, however, is that Odobert is primarily right-sided, whereas Mahrez and Saka are stronger on their left.

© SciSports - Odobert is BETTER than Saka at the same age

Interestingly, data analytics experts SciSports pin Odobert as being of a very similar standard to Saka at the same age, although the Arsenal man did subsequently explode thereafter. Mahrez, on the other hand, was more of a slow burner, with his career only reaching a peak in his late 20s.

With an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of more than €15 million, Odobert is already a player earmarked for the top, and Man City can, of course, sign him at a bargain price due to their links with Troyes.