Tottenham have set their sights on unsettled Leicester City’s star, Riyad Mahrez, as per the reports from the Evening Standard.
The Algerian international has cleared off his intentions of leaving the King Power outfit and earlier handed a transfer request to the club as well. Following that, the fellow London outfit Arsenal showed a reported interest and Arsene Wenger even went on say, “We have not made a bid, but personally, I like the player, yes,” the Frenchman told beIN Sports. No official bid, however, was lodged by the Gunners.
Being aware of Mahrez’s current situation, Italian side AS Roma entered the fray. Their manager Eusebio Di Francesco revealed that the club is interested and went on to say that Mahrez’s style of play is exactly something they are looking for. He, however, admitted that they won’t be engaging in the speculation.
“Maybe we are following him but I’m not going to enter this discussion. We are looking for a winger that plays on the right and he has the characteristics for this position.”
Leicester City, on their part, are doing everything that they can to keep hold of the Algerian and Craig Shakespeare, following all the drama, expressed his desire, saying that everyone at the club wants him to stay.
“We want him to stay,” Shakespeare told reporters. “I would like him to stay, as manager. As I say, he has stated his case clearly but, while he is here, I need that full commitment.”
Tottenham sure would do a world of good with someone like Riyad Mahrez, given the fact that the Champion League football is knocking the door. Besides, Pochettino decided to not include Moussa Sissoko for the pre-season tour and that sparked serious speculations regarding his potential exit.
The Lilywhites’ pursuit of the Algerian, however, may hit a snag, as Leicester have slapped a whopping £50million price tag on Mahrez’s head. And given Tottenham’s transfer policy, they are highly unlikely to fork out such an amount.
