Arsenal have had a big boost in their bid to sign Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City, with the Foxes boss ruling out a move to Roma.
The Algerian international was previously speculated as close to a move to the Giallorossi, and a date was even claimed to have been made for his medical, but Craig Shakespeare has ruled out such a switch.
Shakespeare has claimed that Mahrez will be staying at Leicester this season unless a sufficient bid comes from a team inside the top six of the Premier league, and we are the only team still being linked with his possible capture.
The Leicester boss insisted; ‘He wants to play for a top six club,’ said the Leicester manager. ‘If we don’t get an offer from a top six club, he stays. If that offer comes in and it’s not enough, he stays. It is quite clear for me at the moment, he has made that statement but he is our player.
‘I picked him for 60 minutes, he performed. Is it doing my head in? It’s part and parcel of the transfer window. If you let it, it can affect you. But my job is to make sure the players are focussed on every training session and every game.’
Tottenham are believed unlikely to stump up the asking price for his signature, while Chelsea’s supposed interest last summer appears to have fizzled out.
Our apparent move to Thomas Lemar is looking increasingly off the table, and we may well catch a break with Mahrez, who was the PFA Premier League Player of the Year only a year ago.
Could Mahrez play a key role for Arsenal?
Pat J
I still prefer Lemar but Mahrez would not be a bad second choice
Having both would put pressure on Theo, Danny, Iwobi and Ozil to improve
No matter who we get, we need to hurry as time is running out in the window as usual
yes please.
mahrez is made for arsenal.
it will be a great signing if happened
At this stage we are in lesser need of a winger such as Mahrez but more of a central midfielder. On the right hand side we have, just as you have pointeted out, Theo; Danny; Iwobi and one other Ox so we have enough cover. If Sanchez leaves then we have to get Lemar. Mahrez is not going to challenge Ozil as they don’t play in the same position and right now the central midfield is lacking in quality. Getting Seri would be a wiser choice and addition I believe. Judging by the activity of this transfer window it doesn’t look like we will get all those players so I’d rather we pick our priorities first.
Do you guys realize Guaye is better than Seri in CDM
Why are always so slow in transfer market? Or is this another way to fool the fool fans
Have you seen Mahrez played last season and this pre season? The guy has lost it . I would rather keep Faith in our youngsters to fill that Sanchez hole if he indeed goes than to buy another squad member
Which youngster to fill sanchez hole?!…some of you just talk for the sake of it
I’m sure he means one of Iwobi Oxlade Nelson Mavididi.
Alex Iwobi, Reiss Nelson, Donyel Malen, Edward Nketiah, Steven Mavididi, Chuba Akpom. If we bring in Mbappe – 18 (#160M), Thomas Lemar -21 (#80m), Ousmane Dembele -19 (#87m), you will be happy but guess what? these guys are attracting all these outrageous fees one the back of one season’s performance and that only because someone disregarded their ages and gave them real opportunities. A case in point, when Sagna left Arsenal out of panic and thinking we have no one in the academy to succeed him, we went out and paid for Debuchy and Chambers, But guess who actually succeeded Sagna, a certain 19 year old at the time from the Arsenal academy – Hector Bellerin. He was so good that he ruined Debuchy’s career and forced Chambers to change position. We need to start giving our youngsters opportunities, because we can’t only judge them by their performances in then academy, as the quality they will be surrounded by in then first team is different. MANU never gave Rashford a chance, they didn’t rate him at all and a certain James Wilson was ahead of him in the pecking order, but injury gave them no choice but to play him and the rest is history.
you obviously have not seen him either as he has been Leicesters best player in pre season.
Seriously, just get him already. Lemar is but Mahrez is better than Welbeck. Having both players won’t be bad at least one trophy guaranteed Europa or the league.
I’d only take Mahrez as an Ozil replacement (if I must), you can’t have two players like that in midfield ..sure that is where battle is won and lost.
Walcott has goals in him, but it’s not enough in many people eyes. Mahrez is weaker than Walcott at the dirty stuff. Fair enough ..build up and creativity Mahrez obliterates Theo, but we need to shape up if we’re ever gonna win this league again.
Anything less the lemar and Seri as well as alexis running out for us – in the coming days is going to be a disappointment going into the new campaign.
..add to that we need to show we can sell players we know to be surplus to requirement. continuing to think about a prem title and using players that in the past have not maintained fitness or have otherwise let the club down is to fail before the campaign has even begun.
*we need to draft in more quality personell
Wenger should just let Sanchez go .he is a distraction to the team .Pls sign mahrez he knows about EPL beta Dan any sery or lemah
Meanwhile Lemar just liked lacazette’s picture, with wellbeck and ozil in training..
Manchester United Man City Chelsea Liverpool possible Tottenham for top four it’s between West Ham Everton an arsenal fighting for six and seven place Liverpool is going to destroy us they got Speedy players with brain Sadia Maine better than ozil and Alexandre lacazette what we are doing is wishful thinking Fairy Tail magic hoping for miracle we need three players even if Sanchez stay defender Central middle fielder and a defensive midfielder we know what is going to happen when we get sick we go to the doctor deal the problem we don’t wish away the illness
I think Everton’s Koeman should be judged as Arsene is. Eve are spending more or less the same numbers we are. I like the CB’s he got, Williams and Keane, they take a bullet and high five that s**t. Also I think Gueye and Schneiderlin might look a bit tasty together if MS can get his confidence back. So I like their work on paper, but I think it’s up front where the problems lie, and maybe the squad deeper down. If Lukakwho had of stayed, it could have been very interesting. Don’t like Rooney, not for over the long haul, he’s past it and he was never the poacher type. I think Koeman should have maybe gone for Defoe or Hernandez, but they’d still need a few faces more up top.
Ok just saw on sky sports news that Adama Diakhaby has been bought by Monaco, base on information i read here, it was presumed he was the major hold up in the deal for Thomas Lemar. So let us see
Neymar has already said his goodbyes to Messi, Saurez and Co. So i guess there will be some merry go arounds from this situation. I am hoping that arsenal benefits in some way.
I think Mahrez would also be a good signing, he is more willing to shoot at goal, will not only take on one but several players at a time and also loves to assist. Now in fairness, he does everything Ozil does but much more. Mahrez has bail Leicester out on several occasions, i, therefore, would not mind if it was My Arsenal he was bailing out
Thanks for the update dude.
I’m starting to get that feeling that we will sign Lemar. Only thing is I’m not sure yet if it’ll be this window or the next one. If I had to say, then I’d lean towards us getting him for this season.
I read that Keita got African player of the year, then I heard something about Seri. If one of them do go on to win it, they must be a seriously good player. To win that accolade whilst playing in midfield centre, like with Kante it’s a a great sign for sure. I’d love us to get Keita if he does win it, prefer taller but beggars can’t be choosers.
The only problem here is that there is no sign Wenger wants Mahrez. We haven’t bid anything despite him having premier league experience. At the same time we are refusing to pay the asking price for Lemur and it keeps rising. Just what the hell do we want. I bet if Mahrez was French, we would have bid for him already.
Skybet have suspended betting on Lemar to Arsenal… Could just be temporary or mean a large amount of money has suddenly been bet on the transfer, indicating people in the know think its about to happen…
I know that a lot of people want everyone to be positive but my question is why is it wrong for people to voice their opinion when things are not right. If everything works out perfectly we have the current team plus Lemar or Mahrez. If that happens then we can maybe get into the top 4. Because we haven’t dealt with the contract situations it is quite possible that we will be trying to replace one of our best players and Lemar + Mahrez wouldn’t do that. We are the 7th richest club in the world why does it feel like we are 7th richest in the premier league. Wake up and demand more. We are not buying great young players besides Holding. Best transfer of the last 3 years. We also pay average players way too much so we can’t sell them on. I actually think keeping Perez could add 6 points to the season and playing him last year would have had us in Champions league. We are not ready for the season just like most of the past 6 years. Losing Cazorla was and is the difference between challenging. But Wenger needs to allow other people to do the recruitment and contract work while he focuses on the team.
alright so, Monaco has finally signed diakhabi from Rennes on a 5year deal…. I smell something cooking…. resource or Kev. I just pray you’re right that Lamar’s deal will go through after this……
Sorry but completely OT. does anyone have confirmation of what pubs we are in for the community shield this weekend? are we at the Green Man? or Supporters area as we were for the FA Cup?
Me? Well, I would LOVE to see us snap-up Seri! Really, have you watched this guy, and/or have seen his 2016/17 highlights? Like others, I believe he looks like a pseudo-carbon-copy of Santi, very similar. Of course, not the same or maybe as good as Santi in his prime, but looks to be pretty darn close and easily interchangeable drop-in for Santi.
Seri next to Xhaka . . .