Riyad Mahrez has vowed to justify his price tag after an underwhelming first season at Manchester City ended with Premier League title triumph.
The £60m club-record signing has dismissed any suggestion he could walk away from the Etihad despite failing to fully establish himself under Pep Guardiola.
Mahrez was left frustrated after making just 14 starts in the league but has been told by Guardiola that he remains key to City’s plans - and has no intention of conceding defeat in his bid to cement a place in City’s attack.
“I’m very happy here,” said Mahrez. “I’m not going somewhere else because I don’t play. It’s part of the game. I need to be strong, stay strong. It’s part of my personality, I never hide away from things.
“It’s not easy to come to a team who are settled and have the players who play. That squad did everything last season. I knew it wouldn’t be easy in my first year, but I’m very confident in myself and have no doubts about my quality.
“I knew that when I had my chance I’d take it.”
It would be easy to draw parallels between Mahrez and Bernardo Silva. Bernardo was largely seen as understudy to Kevin de Bruyne or an alternative on the right of attack in his first season at City.
But he has established himself as one of the most influential figures at the club this term, with Guardiola insisting the Portugal international should’ve beaten Raheem Sterling and Virgil van Dijk as Player of the Year.
While Bernardo may have proved some of his doubters wrong, Mahrez believes he’s already established himself as force in the Premier League.
“Bernardo arrived from France - I had done a lot of things in this league already,” said the winger. “So it's different. Of course it wasn't easy for him in his first season for him like for me it's not easy, but it's not a comparison.”
And Mahrez believes Guardiola is the man to get the best out of him.
“He's a guy who believes and makes you believe and gives you the motivation to improve yourself and chase the excellence,” he said. “I think that is why he won so many trophies in his career as a manager.
“Next season, he is going to push us to win the Premier League again and the rest of the trophies, because that is his winning nature.”
After pipping Liverpool to the title Mahrez believes this is just the start of a classic rivalry.
“We need to congratulate Liverpool, they are a great team,” he added. “They have caused us a lot of problems this season.
“They have lost the championship with 97 points. We had to get 98 points and the title race has lasted until the last day.
“I think we have deserved it, even if it has been a very tight title race. I think next season it's going to be even tighter title race.
“Back-to-back titles are important, because Manchester City has never done it before.
“The club won the Premier League before, but the following year the team finished in lower positions. So, that is already historic for the club.
“Also in the Premier League, since 2009 any club managed to retain the title. Next season we will try to be there as well.”
