Splashing around £60m on Riyad Mahrez in the summer, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City showed they weren’t messing around when it came to establishing their dominance in the Premier League.
Plucking the Algerian from Leicester, the current Premier League champions have been trying to build a team able to compete on all fronts, which is something they are currently achieving.
However, for Mahrez, the season has been a series of ups and downs, finding himself on the bench more often than he would have liked.
But for former Algeria international Salah Assad, this season will serve his country’s star well, expecting him to return stronger in the future.
He told Al Araby, relayed by Le Buteur: “Mahrez has huge qualities and I think he’s one of the best players in Europe at the moment. He played at Leicester City for many years and gained a lot of experience. It was normal for him to join a big club like Manchester City.
“It’s been hard for him to establish himself quickly, but he remains an incredible player who can make the difference by himself. He never gives up.”
Unable to criticise the 28-year-old on a technical level, Assad did have some suggestions on how Mahrez could improve his game.
He explained: “He was exceptional qualities, but, in my mind, he lacks a bit on a physical level. He needs to work at that to be at the top. That a footballer is placed on the bench is part of their career.
“He needs to be patient and not give up easily. A professional player always questions himself. I’m sure he’ll come back stronger.”
Since swapping King Power Stadium for the Etihad, the forward has scored 11 goals and assisted teammates 11 times in 40 appearances in all competitions.
Not bad for a season many see as a ‘difficult’ one.
