Is Wenger playing games over Mahrez to Arsenal transfer?

The plot thickens when it comes to the Arsenal transfer rumours about the Leicester City and Algerian international star Riyad Mahrez after a source from the player’s current club muddied the waters even further by claiming that, contrary to popular belief, Arsenal did not even try to sign Mahrez last summer.

We know that Arsene Wenger made an offer for the Foxes and England striker Jamie Vardy because it was all over the news before the Euro 2016 tournament began and then the striker chose to reject the move and stay where he was. There were also lots of reports saying that the boss also tried to get Mahrez but the shock Premier League title winners persuaded him to give them another season.

But a Metro report is telling us that a source from the east midlands club has revealed that Arsenal did not make a bid for Mahrez at all, even though the Algerian wanted to join us and would have cost £35 million, which is around £15 million less than he is likely to cost this year.

This is all a bit odd, especially as Wenger spoke highly about the player earlier this summer and as reported by the BBC he dropped a huge hint that Mahrez was on his transfer wish list.

He said, “Have we made a bid for him? No. Not yet. Not yet means it could happen, it could not happen.

“I think he had a huge impact at Leicester when they won the championship, like everybody else.

“It’s been a different season this year but it doesn’t take anything away from his qualities.”

So just what do you think the Arsenal boss is playing at with regards to signing Mahrez?

Bob.

39 Comments

  1. If wenger doesn’t rate you then never sign for him. Look st perez my advice to mahrez is to be careful wenger can mess with him.

  2. Of course he’s playing games. They all play games. The problem for Wenger is that since his transfer playmate David Dein left, he hasn’t been particularly good at it.

  3. I think Arsen is hoping to land Lemar , then if he doesn’t sell Sanchez he will put an offer in of about £43 million for mahrez.
    If Sanchez is sold then the money will go towards Karen Benzamer.

  4. poor Wenger, he should rather go for Mahrez rather than his country man Lemar. Mahrez makes dribbling look easy…for me he is a better choice compared to Lemar.But yet again poor Wenger will make a poor choice, but this time around it’s gonna cost him his post.

  5. What we need are players who when the chips are.down can have a tear up.
    Bully boys as for years now we missed out on titles an this team has been now as supremely talented bottle jobs

    Quality dribbler great going forward.
    But we need monsters

    1. Exactly. We need a guy who can make things happen like hazard and willian wh when things go south for chelsea dribbe with the ball and try to make something happen. Arsenal we lack this type of player. They say football is a team sport which is true 60% of the time but sometimes the team doesn’t function as one and thats when a quality players wins you game. We need to find this quality all our players are week and no one can work independent to win us games. Its that 40% that wins you games

  6. I don’t necessarily think he is playing games. He didn’t bid for him. Just rumours getting out of control. However, I don’t know if he spoke or met with Mahrez.

    The Mbappe situation was silly. Wenger gave the impression he was interested in him but obviously never bid on him.

    I think Wenger is trying to make us believe he is looking for top quality so could talk up particular players to create a smoke screen to hide future failures.

    I think we could use a good quality forward (Lemar), a Top CM (either Cazorla type player or Defensive midfielder) and perhaps a strong CBS.

    But as the days dwindle, it gets less and less likely.

    I will say this, even if we get Lemar, he and Lacazette will not be enough to cover the loss of Alexis. If we lose Alexis, we will need both Lemar and a player of Alexis’ quality.

    We are still behind Chelsea, Spyrs, United, City. We need a few more top quality players. I hope we at least get Lemar and a top CM

    I have no idea if Wenger will finally deliver or give us another disappointing summer. Wenger is being very lazy and dithering as usual. He is also talking about how busy the last two weeks will be. I wish he could have spent more than £50 million by now. Lemar should be here by now. So should a top CM. Also there are quite a few players Wenger hasn’t sold yet ie. Jenkinson, debuchy, Campbell, Gibbs etc.

    13 years is more than enough failure I can handle. If Wenger doesn’t get a few more top players, I don’t see us winning the PL.

    1. Lets be honest here. For a club with an ambition to win pl and titles they wrap up there business early. To me the way we are wasting time with our transfers its evident to me that pl is not our target. Its top four spot and i think this is wrong wrong. Even evertom hve done there business early i said it last year everton will soon be joining us in terms of quality and i fear the day that happens!! But is not ?

        1. good and honest question but sadly they have their agenda and wont comment on reasonable thinking 😀

        2. Neil am not saying everton hve a better team than us. But thats how team that start improving start like city who started buying slowly and now are better or we are similar to them. Look at everton they are aiming for something higher for sure and of we are not careful they will catch up to us. I recall when we used to say spurs will forever be in our shadow but we got a slap on our face twice lets not wait for everton to hve better players than us to see that we are stagnating

      1. Yes that is my fear too

        With Alexis in our team, Lemar is an improvement
        If Lemar is our replacement for Alexis than we will be going back in overall quality. Lacazette and Lemar are good players but not World Class like Alexis.

        If Wenger keeps his word and Alexis stays this season then Lemar will help but if we end up selling Alexis we don’t just need Lemar but a real Alexis replacement ie. Gotze, Draxler, Reus, etc.

    2. I agree… but its at the business-end of a season we see if we’re behind Chelsea, Spyrs, United, City. Isn’t football’s just like life with lots of twist n turns, its a funny game and I expect one or two of those (mentioned) could meet us in the europa too. They may be good teams BUT we can turn it up too.

      1. History has proven we can’t turn up for bin games consistently and buckle in the face of pressure. We are not making any significant changes and we’ve become a team where other clubs will have a go at because they know we have weak belly, so what makes you think we will stand a better chance than those other clubs? As long as the constant variables are there then expect a predictable result

        1. Iv seen and heard all of this fear among our fans before i used to wager a bottle of jack daniels with liverpool fans that we’d be higher in the league than them and I never had to buy them a bottle once. They’d laugh and try rubbish us at the emirates and then we brought in Bergkamp… the rest you will already know. I may be a romantic at times but i’ve seen this club in its full-pomp, we were called the “irresistible force” and ill always hold a belief that we can do well again.

          1. Time have changed buddy, money talks and if you don’t pay then you wont get the players. Plus wasn’t it the arrival of Asrsene Wenger, that kind of change, that brought all those successful years? Don’t speak as if you’ve lived through those days as if others haven’t. It was those days that I begun as an Arsenal football fan. So why can’t you accept that we need change now?

    3. How are we behind Spurs ? They won nothing last year and we have finished above them for 20 years other than last season ? They have sold Kyle Walker and bought no-one ? If you go by fact they finished 2nd last season well Unnites finished 6th so you have to be consistent
      All very well calling Arsene lazy from behind your phone or computer but thats not very constructive… Real Madrid and Barcelona still to do their business and seems like of Neymar goes to PSG and Mbappe goes to Real then there will be a lot of transfer action the next few weeks but you dont think Arsenal should be part of that !
      So many negative comments on here when the window is not yet at the business end and no kne has played a game yet !

  7. After so many-years of guaranteeing us champions league and now flagging down to the reality of europa league football I doubt Wenger has time to waste on Mahrez. Last year his team LCFC had fought-hard against the prospect of championship league football and I don’t recall hearing about how he actually distinguished himself as the foxes somehow managed to stay in the prem. I cant understand where he figures given we all know its T.Lemar that is preferred. When asked have we bid for Mahrez the boss didn’t exactly show anything more solid than a mere “pepper-grain” worth of interest – there’s No games, he simply isn’t the one.

    1. I think arsenal fans need to open there eyes. At the moment we are in the brink of bieng left behind and its how our club is bieng runned. At this rate when will we win the pl? Its very tough and we are very poor in terms of quality and if yoy think laca and kolasinac are enough then i just say judge the team honestly. We are so far from bieng genuine title contenders and i will say even top four is gonna be a huge ask.
      No need to dreambig and the club itself is not. But its gonna be another tough season for sure

      1. You/we really cannot determine the league by looking at the purchases you’re aware of right now. (i) a couple of years ago people did what you’re doing now, and it was Leicester that turned up at the business-end (ii) the season before last chelski never made top 5 and were as a result overlooked, yet they where at the business-end where things count: My friend its as much about finding quality as it is about keeping them fit. 2018 we’ll be at the business-end, I believe. I’ve witnessed arsenal excel in the past and you never underestimate this club.

        1. By business-end I hope you mean major overhaul and changes in this club. As long as we have incompetent members at Arsenal football club, then expect the same or worse. I can tell you it’s a disgrace mentioning Leicester here because it was our best chance and we blew it! Then on another argument you could say Leicester was a surprise package and we are not, we are too consistent at failing. Chelsea did not make top 5 because they had a crisis with the manager but yet you fail to mention them winning the Premier League the season before. Then what did they do to rectift that? They sacked the manager! The only thing you should not underestimate is the very likelihood of this club becoming a mid table team and by referencing to your comment ”it’s a funny game”, well becareful what you wish for, because may just surprise you the least expected way!

        2. Hehe what you fail to see so many teams are investing wisely this transfer market. Well we shall see soon enough but in terms of quality we are so far behind and the only scenario i envisage us winning pl is if we sacrifice europa and concentrate on pl. We then hve a injury free season and hope wenger is able to adapt his tactics accordingly. Huge question is will we?

  8. Not sure why we are still talking about Mahrez. He is quite possibly a one season wonder, who is claret overpriced and not exactly the massive statement we should be making

    1. Because we can’t get anyone that wants to come to us and he can dribble, Walcott can’t, hard reality

  9. Anyone seen Bayern Vs Che match. Che set up defensively and Bayern smashed two long ranger actually against Che you have to take long range chances but don’t know why arsenal only passes and passes alot nowadays.I watched Henry videos and man just amazing pass him ball and he can smash from long range can dribble pass defenders very easily.

    1. dude… we beat them 2 out of 3 times last season in matches which were VERY important.. 2 derbies and one Cup FINAL(!) but now you are the tactician who knows better than the whole club how to play against chelsea cause we lost a fri.. PRESEASON MATCH???
      Now i’ve seen it all.. ridiculous

      1. But he does make a point, we try and pass the ball too much and also we are poor in the final third.

  10. Instead of saying comments like just get rid of Sanchez because he doesn’t want to be here, let’s demand answers to why it appears that he is so adamant about leaving…my instincts suggest that Wenger has been incredibly disingenuous in his dealings with Alexis from the get-go, much like he has been with the fans for years, and that these issues have festered over the last 18 months or so, made only worse by the lack of “real” transfer activity prior to last season…this calculated decision by management saw neither Sanchez or Ozil sign an extension before the start of the season because the club showed no true ambition…to bring in Xhaka for more money than Kante, to sign Mustafi late in the window for more money than was deserved because everyone and their brother knew we were desperate, then to “panic” buy Perez to quell the calls for another striker that had been shouted from the rafters since the departure of RVP, clearly showed the level of apathy that continued to dominate our toothless and spineless management “team”…does it really make sense that Sanchez, coming off a monster season, wouldn’t have any interest re-upping considering his statistical domination and overwhelming fan support…just think how horrible things must have been to not use such incredibly contractual leverage…Wenger should be ashamed of himself for willingly participating in such a sham…can you even imagine the Wenger of 15 years ago becoming the “front man” for an American businessman who doesn’t even give a shit about this game that we all love

  11. If there is one thing I have learnt about Arsene “I dont like people called Lucas” Wenger is that he doesn’t really play games. He is very straight down the middle kind of guy. We might understand him or we might not – but he is the same for over two decades when it comes to this stuff.

  12. Lemer mite be coming I have my doubts thou. Couple links now that we’re looking st Danny drink water wenger wants add another English player cause jack is getting da road like he’s Danny drink water I’m going bed.

  13. why go for carvahlo
    when everyone saw renato sanchez bossing chelsea around
    why do we always have to buy someone just because he is 5 million less and plays in a non competitive league

    for god sake wenger this time its real
    every team means business look at manu city chelsea everton spurs liverpool they all are signing players
    and we have to sell before buying

    get gelson martins
    renato sanchez
    lemar
    and van djik
    and even bid for verati just to provide engine
    lets make a team that can boss every other premier league team

  14. I think it should be pretty clear what’s going on here. Mahrez is the 2nd choice if we can’t land Lemar. Personally I’d like to see Mahrez come in to replace Theo, while Lemar replaces Alexis.
    Also bring in Carvalho or possibly Matic and we have a very good squad.

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