The 2015/16 PFA Player of the Year, Riyad Mahrez, was desperate to leave Leicester City last summer and even went to so far as to hand in a transfer request to force the Foxes hand, but it would appear that either Arsene Wenger refused to meet Leicester’s valuation or he was still hoping to persuade Alexis Sanchez to extend his contract with Arsenal.
Now the brilliant Chilean looks certain to leave, either in January or the summer and it would appear that the new Foxes manager Claude Puel has now agreed to let the Algerian international leave if the right offer comes along. He was valued in the region of £40m in the summer and that now looks like a fair price for the 26 year-old winger.
The Man City boss Pep Guardiola has been hit be injuries to both Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne in the last week and it is highly likely that he will want to get Alexis to the Etihad sooner rather than later, after anticipating that would be happy to wait until the summer to bring him in on a Bosman transfer. Guardiola will be keen to carry on the Citizens unbeaten run in the Premier League and losing two of their biggest players is a big blow to their chances, especially with the Champions League set to restart next month as well. If they come in with a massive offer for Alexis, Arsenal could have an open position for Mahrez to fit straight in.
But today Puel has denied that he wants to sell Mahrez and the player himself has not reiterated his desire to leave. Puel was quoted as saying: ‘I have said I want to keep all my best players in the squad,’
‘Riyad is a valuable player to the team. ‘When I discuss things with him he has shown a good attitude, he is enjoying his football. He is a happy player. This is a good thing.
‘He likes to play with his team-mates. He has improved all his stats with assists and goals. It is all positive for him. I want to continue this work with all my best players, like Riyad.
‘No (hasn’t said he wants to leave). He is happy with the squad. After that, it is speculation.
‘For me, there is no problem. He is happy to play with his team-mates. He loves football.
‘In the transfer window, people can make speculation about players and transfers, but I am not worried because I like the player. ‘It is easy to speak with him and he likes the football and this is the most important thing.’
Mahrez definitely seems to be back to his best form and despite Puel’s words, we all know that everyone is available for the right price. Should Arsenal go all out for him and let Sanchez move to City?
Admin
good player, but too inconsistent- imagine once he discovers glamorous london life
thats essentially 95 percent of our arsenal team already
we need hungry run through wall types
ot- ive got this nigling feeling theo is gonna see out his contract , last window he couldnt make a choice, this window its uhh yeahh emmm..ac, southamp..yeah well-
he wants to keep his joke wages going for doing nothing
Agree, Mahrez is good but inconsistent like Ozil, Mata and Mkhitaryan. To replace Sanchez, Arsenal should look for another attacking midfielder or inverted winger that is used to play with Barcelona level.
It is better if Arsenal get someone like Rafinha, Sergi Roberto or Denis Suarez, because they have been learning directly from Messi, like what Sanchez did in Barcelona. Or get a taller forward like Draxler, that could reduce the opponent’s pressure on Lacazette in the front.
That “learning directly from messi” is a joke…i dont lnow if mahrez is the answer, but mahrez is far better than denis suarez, sergi roberto and those inventions…and he has epl exp…alexis is the player who is not because of “barca adn” or because of messi…he has the personality he has because he borns with nothing, he start from nowhere and with nothing..he fought for everything he has today…indoubtly he gets better in barca, but he gets better here too (a lot better)…because he is hungry! He was an excelent player before barca, not like the players u are naming who borns in la masia with everything…we do not need “special players” euth great touch to makes wenger wet with an awesome colective goal in a year but who will not fight every match..we have had a lot of them…we have a lot of them today but not so gifted (aside ozil)…we need fighters…i like lacazette because he is complete and put a fight always…and thats why sometimes i yhink ramsey have much more to give to us than ozil…atleast ozil stay putting performances like the last game and thats not just because of eanting a new contract, on a walcott style (pls free us of that bs, btw)
Have you really watched Mahrez play? Coz I used to think Ozil is the laziest player on earth before I watched Mahrez. If we sign Mahrez and Ozil stays we will be shipping in goals like westbrom.
I was always supportive of Theo, and I still believe he is a decent striker. But the lack of fight and ambition in him is pathetic. Doesn’t seem like he wants to fight his way into the team, doesn’t care about getting a place at the world cup. When contract time rolls around he’s got a bit of motivation.
I respected Jack going out on loan, because he’s a footballer and wants game time. He wants to go to the world cup. He’s got offers from other clubs that would snap your arm off for him and he STILL wants to play for this club. He’s fought for his place and the badge and I respect the man. Walcott on the other hand, I have no respect for him as a footballer anymore, playing for the paycheck, not playing for the club. He’s symptomatic of what’s wrong with this club.
That joke of a footballer, Walcott, is just happy to pick up £110,000 for doing nothing. If he any ambition at all, he’d have been a solicitor
Walcott ? A joke of a footballer ? NO WAY ! Jokes are humourous, funny, enjoyable. Walcott is tragic, pathetic, about as funny as leprosy and a disgusting weed and fraud. That this type of (technically speaking) footballer is still languishing at our club, after twelve fraudulent years, sums up in perfect measure the enormous lack of ambition at Arsenal. And BTW, Kenny, what have you got against solicitors to wish Walcott upon them! I am Walcotts first arch enemy, I don’t mind you being second!
It’s his manner Jon, he reminds me of a solicitor also the fees he charges our club, what is it? £110,000 a week, robbery
He should pay us £110000 pw to be allowed to stay. EVEN IF IT WAS ALL ,PAIDD TO ME PERSONALLY I WOULD STILL WANT HIM OUT. That this fraud is still stealing £5.5 million annually is the most outrageous of all Wengers many mistakes and going on for twelve years. Whih other manager would indulge any player, irrespective of his wages, who has zero ambition, “balls” and energy, for 12 years. NO OTHER MANAGER WOULD, AS WE ALL KNOW.
If you guys have this opinion about Walcott, then what about Welbeck? Check the stats. Walcott is a better player than Welbeck. But you guys on this platform hardly criticize Welbeck. I like Walcott and still want him to stay. Welbeck cannot give you 15 goals in a season. He would get injured. The Walcott you guys are criticizing scored many goals last season. Important goals as well. Support your players. Walcott is good. He is a better finisher than Welbeck. Sell Welbeck and Sanchez. Wenger should Bring Walcott back into the squad and sign one of Mahrez/Draxler.
Get shot of both and add a few more into the equation too. Cazorla (diaby rosicky take note) Debuchy, Mertesacker, akpom, elneny, coquelin jenkinson, ospina and even koscielny.
Injuries, lack of form and in some cases lack of ability. There is 11 players that should be shown the door. It would open up around 8/9 places in the first team squad, but not even have any impact as only a handful of them are actual starters.
Walcott replace with a signing
Welbeck replace with a signing
Ospina replace with martinez
Cazorla not in squad anyway
Debuchy replace with sheaf
Mertesacker replace with Bielik
Koscielny replace with a signing
Elneny replace with willock
Coquelin replace with a signing
Akpom replace with nelson
Jenkinson replace with niles
If ozil, alexis and Wilshire leave they should be replaced with signings, which would still leave us with space in the 25 to improve
Atid: I agree with majority of your post however in reality this is very unlikely to happen.
Your post is a total self contradiction. You still – bizarrely – believe he is a decent striker? Evidence please for this folly! But on your main point about him ” lacking fight and ambition” , well said. Jack is the total opposite, a highly motivated MAN with fight , bravery , determination and “balls”. WORTH A THOUSAND “WEED” WALCOTTS, ALL DAY LONG! All fans with any nous whatever should be calling for this Walcott disaster to be thrown out, head first, from our club. Sadly, so many on here hate real fan language, so now watch the timid fools thumb this truth down. And continue holding our club back from having ambition. If any one honestly thinks that any top club with ambition would have put up with this “man”(technically) for twelve years and showered him with wage increases, like Wenger has done, they are either dishonest or bonkers. Imagine Aguero, Sterling, De Bruyne, Sane AND Walcott. No! Neither could I or any rational person.
“Walcott is symptomatic of what is wrong with this club” damn men! U hit on the target ! Great phrase, very accurate
Thnak you admin for this article.
been saying this since day one.
ARSENAL AND MAHREZ IS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.
Coz they both can’t defend?
But Wenger is in charge of Arsenal
It will be same old same old story
Benzema will retire in a couple of years so if we get Mahrez we will have no subject to debate in the next 10 transfer windows.
I do like Mahrez… surely if Arsene wanted him he’d be an Arsenal player by now!!
Does anyone think Wenger is gonna give them Alexis now that they need him to try and break the only record we have. They wont get him now I’d bet my life on it. Alexis is a match winner, city were doing alright without him but with him I believe they would go unbeaten this season.
Not unless a very good offer comes in which the board overrules him on.
If City want him then they have to think about who else can talk to him, if they wait till end of season then PSG could have got in there before them, as an example.
I dunno… I just see how other non EPL teams can speak to Alexis before EPL teams can, that has to be worth something right? The talk of £25 million I can’t see as being a figure AFC would accept, not considering we could allow foreign clubs to talk to him 1st by the ruling in place for end of contract. Getting him out of the EPL and not having to play against him would be worth a bit and not making City any stronger is also worth a bit.
With only 5 months left with us the decision of where he goes is entirely down to sanchez. We can stop him going anywhere now but that is it. We have a very weak hand here.
With or without, still unbeaten.
Hold on Break-on-through, most FA Cup wins, Longest serving team in the top league, almost 100 years, highest points under the old two point system, 66 points heated dressing rooms including the floor at Highbury when United and Liverpool etc were changing in corrugated iron sheds, sure there’s more
I know the last ones not a record, just like to keep them northerners in their place
Love it Kenny. Actually I now live up north now and you would be surprised how many of them support London clubs including Arsenal.
Tell ’em I’m only joking Ivan
We need better players then Mahrez. He can not replace Alexis. He can replace Ramsey.
Knowing Wenger… Ramsey will be played Right AM so Jack and his favored son Xhaka can play CM.
Wenger finally learns to not favor Theo but he just replaced the person to Xhaka.
Mahrez would be… yes please!
Yes you are right… Wengers doomsday tactics.
We need three Players 1defender Riyad and Draxler, alexis out and we keep Ozil…
Where is the top DM to give Wilshere a bit more freedom in CM to drive us forward?
Xhaka isn’t good enough to cover when Wilshere drives forward, for a short period we are vulnerable to a counter and that has been hurting us.
I wonder how much City want Alexis right now?
I honestly do not see Mahrez as an Alexis replacement but a Theo replacement so Wenger can go utilize the 4231 formation again.
He keeps reverting back to it but I do not think he has anyone he trusts for the right hand side, if he trusted Theo like a lot still claim he does then he would be playing. Simple fact is, the extra AM that gets mixed in is either Iwobi or Welbeck.
Wenger never wanted to sign Welbeck but only loan the guy, not exactly been playing non stop like Xhaka has.
Iwobi got his new contract and form dropped, we all have noticed it and I was never a fan of him… Wenger seems to want him to do well but doesn’t trust him.
I think moving to the 3421 formation was made easier by the fact we have no top right sided attackers and we have been weak on defending.
Get Mahrez to replace Theo.
A top leader style CB and a top DM. (this is where I fear Wenger transfer picks, C’Mon Sven, you spotted the young CB now go get us a top 1st team CB and a DM)
Then we could revert back to the 4231 formation and make a push for the top 4 this season while also aim to win the EL, just so we can say we did better than UTD did in this situation.
Yes it means losing Alexis for free at end of year but he is playing again, that passion he is showing again… I love it. If he keeps it then we have a much better chance of salvaging this season.
It is dreaming on my behalf but we could still walk away with the poor treble which is still 3 trophies. FA, LC and EL.
I’ve given up hope on keeping Alexis after his contract but there is a clause to that 😛
If AFC spend in this window to do the 3 signings I said and win what I said… and go into the summer transfer window with intent… Then I will hope Alexis will want to be part of that and stay.
So yeah… Hope lost 🙁
Mahrez is so over rated and yet fans are still calling for his signing
For majority of fans on forums this is like hollywood movies. Just another tv program, just another stupid superhero movie.
You won’t get Mahrez for less than £50m, that was the summer asking price. He’s been in imperious form recently or maybe you hadn’t noticed! Personally I hope he doesn’t move and I don’t think he will in this window – he wants Champions League football and he’s unlikely to get that at Arsenal next season unless you win the Europa League!
i reckon he would make an amazing wing back.
I know that sounds stupid but that is what Arsene thinks every time he sees a wide player
How about a whole team full of wing backs, all playing out of position. Wenger would be in Heaven!
Ha ha ha and Xhaka and Ramsey as forwards!
Draxler is a far better option than Mahrez and his acquisition would perhaps encourage our only world class player (ozil) to sign a new contract.
Mahrez and Draxler in
Walcott and Alexis out
Draxler will be our Alexis replacement
Mahrez has helped Leicester big time the last couple of matches with Vardy out.
Mahrez is a very good player. Not World Class but better than Walcott, Welbeck and Iwobi any day of the week.
I would also sell Wilshere/Xhaka and get another Top Central midfielder or 2
We are 6th place. We need to get some better players innit