It was one of the stories of last summer, but when Riyad Mahrez made it clear he wanted to leave Leicester, the links of a move to Arsenal were always going to come back stronger than ever.
Getting a taste for European football with Leicester as they made their way to the Champions League quarter finals, the Algeria international didn’t have the greatest of seasons last year, even if it wasn’t anything to complain about either.
Arsène Wenger himself made it clear the interest from Arsenal was there, even if a bid was yet to be made, and this appears to have appealed to the 26-year-old.
According to Le Buteur in Algeria, a source very close to the player told them Mahrez was ‘more interested’ in joining Arsenal than some of the other clubs after him.
Chelsea and Liverpool are said to be trying to convince him with Champions League football, but the presence of Wenger at the Emirates, as well as a strong French speaking contingent, is drawing him to north London instead.
As for Leicester in all of this, well, Le Buteur seem to think they won’t let him leave for less than €30m.
Currently in the Maldives on holiday with his family, there is plenty of time for this transfer to happen, and we’ve definitely not heard the last of it.
