Manchester City: No Remorse over Riyad

The talk surrounding the build up to last weekends fixture against Leicester, all the talk was surrounding one player. Whether Riyad Mahrez was going to take part in the game, or even be part of the squad, dominated the headlines.

In my preview of the game I suggested that maybe the player would be visible, although I wasn’t sure it was going to be in the form of a second half substitute. The narrative though, from before to after the 5-1 City victory has changed.

In January, the transfer window opens. Every manager knows that and every manager should be prepared for it. It was clear the player wanted a move and work under Pep Guardiola, and it was clear City also wanted that.

The difficulty came with a ridiculous amount of money demanded from City by Leicester. There was no talk from Leicester that their player wasn’t for sale, but only at the right price. Taking into account the recent sale of Coutinho to Barcelona, that figure increased dramatically.

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The fact is that sympathy for Leicester is slightly unwarranted. It has been clear for a while the player wants a move to a bigger club. Remember, in August he was waiting at a Paris airport in order to force a move. That never materialised, he returned to the club and performed, you would assume, with the proviso he could get a move later.

Now, in come City, who had just been messed about, essentially, by Alexis Sanchez. A bid of £50 million in January was declined, but not with the statement that he wasn’t for sale. Instead, a figure of almost double that was reported as being the figure City needed to reach. That’s a massive increase on the figure of £560k they paid for him in January 2014.

After multiple bids were rejected the player himself put in a transfer request. But, as the transfer window deadline came and passed it became clear he had been denied a transfer yet again. A side who let both Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante leave for a combined fee only a little above City’s last bid within a year.

As a result of the second ‘no deal’, Riyad went on strike. Critics and ex footballers, such as Chris Sutton, calling him a big baby. But is Sutton really the person to criticise? He was a local favorite while at Norwich City, but not really known until he moved to Blackburn.

He, along with Alan Shearer, won the Premier League in the 1994/95. They put him on the map, but how would he have felt if, when Chelsea had come in for him Blackburn had denied him a move?

Next: Mahrez To City?

Now, everything is forgiven and forgotten between club and player with City’s pursuit of the player, leading to Pep Guardiola having to defend the clubs actions. Isn’t that the nature of the Premier League beast though? Offers for players are made all the time, some successful some not but it is rare for a player to go on strike over it.

That would lead me to believe that maybe he had a similar promise made to him as Liverpool made to Coutinho. Stay with us for now, and get your move in January. In my mind, any issue the Leicester City have with their player is almost all down to them. Whether it was City who came in with a bid, or another top European club, I think the reaction would have been the same.

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