Manchester City: Transfer News and Rumour Roundup 10
The Obvious Link
Riyad Mahrez, 25, Leicester City, Winger
Honestly, it’s more a surprise to me that a link between City and Mahrez hasn’t been drawn earlier. Mahrez, after all, has been linked to just about every to club in the country already after his breakthrough season with Leicester. United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, they all would love Mahrez, so obviously City must be in on him too? Well, it didn’t seem to be the case, at least until now.
France Football reported today that City have turned their attention to Mahrez and are in poll position to acquire him, with a guesstimated fee around £35million. Leicester sources have since come out and increased said fee to more like £50million, but nonetheless the point is that this would be the first evidence of Manchester City actually making a move for the Algerian.
Don’t take the France Football source so seriously though, as their argument is predicated on City not landing Leroy Sane under renewed competition from Bayern Munich, as has been rumoured over the last few days. Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed today however the club are not in on Sane and City have a clear run at the Schalke 04 phenom, which we sort of knew all along. So yeah, Mahrez isn’t a fallback for Sane as Sane is clearly the first choice and seemingly City only need to agree a fee with Schalke.
Nonetheless, Mahrez is an exceptionally capable footballer, perhaps the best player on the Premier League Champions’ side last year, certainly the most gifted. It doesn’t surprise me that Leicester would gouge for him either, having lost N’Golo Kante to Chelsea, the interest in Mahrez was always going to heat up and if Kante is worth £30million then an argument could certainly be made that Mahrez is worth much more.
What seems to be the case to me is, Mahrez is imminently available to the highest bidder. Leicester really don’t have the ability to say no to him furthering his career at a bigger club, for bigger wages. It would make sense then that City would maintain some form of interest, even if not for the reason France Football suggests, and it could well also be true then that they remain the front-runners in the race.
There has been talk for some time of Sevilla re-acquiring Jesus Navas, which would leave open a spot on the squad for a player of the calibre of Mahrez, even with Sane available. It all depends if either would be willing to be involved in a rotation, something Pep is a big believer in regardless. I think perhaps the most prohibitive aspect of the move for Manchester City, and any potential buyer, is Leicester’s price tag. Mahrez has no buy-out clause so the sky is the limit for the Foxes to cash in on arguably their most marketable player.
£50million, or even £40million, is an obscene asking price for a squad player, even one as capable as Mahrez. Consider City picked up Nolito for the opposite wing for only £13million and it starts to make sense why. Further, the Blues are already heavily investing in players like Sane, Stones and Bonucci with perhaps a Toni Kroos lurking behind the scenes. A £40+million splurge on Mahrez doesn’t sound advisable given it could tie their hands going forward this summer.
It seems oblivious Pep would have an interest in Mahrez, but I’m not sure that alone will be enough. Front runners or not, I’d advise waiting for some more solid links before considering getting his name printed on your new shirt.
Next: The Done Deal 4?