Riyad Mahrez, the Moroccan winger who has played for several top clubs including Manchester City and Leicester City, has signed a two-year contract with Al-Ittihad, the club he has been linked to since last summer.
The news was announced on the official website of the Saudi Arabian Premier League side, which is owned by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Mahrez will be hoping to add more goals to his impressive tally of 14 in 28 appearances for Leicester City this season. He has also scored six times in 15 games for Algeria at international level.
Al-Ittihad is one of the most successful clubs in the history of Saudi football, having won the league title 16 times and the AFC Champions League once.
The move comes as a major coup for the PIF, which is looking to expand its global reach and increase its influence in the world of sports. The PIF has already invested heavily in football, sponsoring clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea in England, and has plans to invest further in the sport.
For Mahrez, it marks a return to the Gulf region after playing for Al-Sadd in Qatar during the 2019-20 season. He previously spent time at AC Milan and West Ham United in Italy and England respectively.
The signing of Mahrez is likely to boost Al-Ittihad's chances of success in the upcoming season, which starts in June. The team has a talented squad that includes former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué.
Overall, the signing of Mahrez is a significant move for both him and the club, and it will be interesting to see how he performs under new manager Paulo Sousa.