Spending nearly half of his career in Ligue 1 in the late 80s, Argentinean striker Omar da Fonseca is now a La Liga expert for beIN Sports in France.
The 56-year-old gave an interview to Le Buteur about La Liga in general, as well as Barcelona, and one of the questions involved Riyad Mahrez, who was linked with a move to the Now Camp over the summer.
The Algerian winger had the season of a lifetime with Leicester last year, winning the Premier League and picking up 17 goals and 17 assists along the way, as well as both the PFA Player’s and PFA Fans’ Player of the Year awards.
However, for Mr da Fonseca, he probably still doesn’t have what it takes .
He said: “Mahrez is a player that I appreciate a lot and I always look out for him. People like players who can make the difference and Mahrez is a player who can go past his player easily.
“Now, to say he has the qualities to impose himself at Barca, it’s quite hard to imagine him being a starter instead of Messi or Neymar. He has the chance to play the Champions League this season, and it’s the ideal platform for him to shine and confirm the talent to go to the next level in his career.”
With only one goal and one assist in six league appearances this season, it’s fair to say Mahrez hasn’t quite recaptured last year’s form.
Then again, neither have Leicester, and with the loss of N’Golo Kanté, such a vital piece of Ranieri’s puzzle last season, consistency might take some time to instil itself.
