Riyad Mahrez stalling on Arsenal offer – Should we move on?

Last year’s Premier League Player of the season Riyad Mahrez has been the subject of many Arsenal transfer rumours since before the end of the season, especially since he publicly informed the club that he wanted to leave. Mahrez wrote: “Out of the huge admiration and respect I hold for Leicester I wanted to be totally honest and transparent. I have informed the club that I feel now is the time for me to move on.

“The relationship I share with the club and our amazing fans are something I will treasure forever and I truly hope they will understand and respect my decision.”

That seems pretty clear cut, and Arsene Wenger himself has not ruled out making an offer to Leicester for him. Le Prof said last week: “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.”

It would appear that the reason Wenger is holding back is because the Algerian international is first trying to find out if Barcelona would be interested in making a bid, and according to the Spanish publication Sport, Mahrez’s agent has already contacted the Spanish giants to enquire about the possibilities.

Thereport states: Mahrez has spoken with Barça through his agents. The club have asked for calm because, at the moment, the priority is to sign a right-back and a midfielder. Mahrez could follow, given Barça value his ability to beat a man and link in attack. He’s a player who has been inconsistent this season, but with so much talent he could explode surrounded by better players.

For the moment, Mahrez has advised that he has an offer from Arsenal. There’s also interest from Chelsea, but his desire is to play in the Spanish league with Barça. Both his transfer fee and his wages are affordable, but for now there has not been any definitive movement.

Sources close to the player admit they’re keeping their options open and don’t deny reaching out to Barça despite there being no official offer. Barça also assure that they like the player, but it would all depend on the conditions of any deal and the other business they do.

So should Arsenal still be chasing Mahrez or be moving on to other targets? In my opinion, Wenger is desperate to get any transfer deals done early so he can appease the fans before announcing Sanchez’s departure. If Arsenal is not Mahrez’s first choice, why are we even bothering?

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31 Comments

  1. I get the feeling that this is going to be the worst summer yet.
    Arsenal are the skin flint who goes to the January sales and dithers on the why not’s and what ifs and when they finally make a decision its too late because everything good is gone..

    1. Reports saying Klopp is sniffing around like a dog around the Ox and is going to bid 40mil for him.I hope Wengers tells Liverpool where to go regarding the Ox.

    2. Yes, this could be the worst summer. I think Mahrez is worth to be purchased, but Arsenal has to wait for their big players’ decisions.

      Arsenal and the other English clubs failed to see Gnabry’s, Giroud’s and other outcasts’ talents. English clubs should stop their kick-rush and basic football style or will always succumb to other big European teams.

  2. Your summary at the end is right. If the player wants to go somewhere else then he’s not for us. It is the same for players who feel they want to leave our club.. Let them go for the best price available. It is futile and belittling to bend over backwards to try to persuade them to stay.

  3. RM have interview yesterday and speak about 13 min about his future, and when he is asked about Arsenal link.. He flattered links with arsenal and he have pretty big words for Arsene Wenger..

    1. Yup, And Mahrez also said that the club hasn’t received an offers yet! No bids on the table, Fork all, nothing but only interest. (Window shopping)

      1. The transfer window is not yet open and the fans are going crazy already about signings, Fans read too much into these hoax stories from the press, i mean come on , how many players have been linked with Arsenal during the lat few weeks? more than 10 and Wenger is only looking to add a maximum of three and i’m even sure if that includes Sead.

        1. Like how Man city already signed 2 players before the window even opened? May be by showing ambition, a club goes for their targets so early before others start to enter the rat race, now look how mahrez’s situtation has become, Barca are interested and they might sign him even before the window opens.. while you are there waiting for window to open for Wenger to start bidding, we’ll end up with all those we always end up with.. Chamack and co.

          Fatboy is right, Wenger and Arsenal are the best window shoppers on this planet

        2. the window hasn’t opened but you’ve signed a free agent right…cos that’s the best this club can do right?

          1. No, that’s the only type of signing that is legal to do before the transfer window has opened…

  4. While his agent might be now testing the waters with a Barcelona, it is Arsenal that is stalling here, certainly due to the Sanchez situation as Wenger appeared to say he’d only go for Mahrez if the Chilean left.
    Mahrez could hardly have made a bigger plea to Arsène, complementing him specifically, and Arsenal in general, in short asking them to finally make an actual bid as there is none at the moment and interest isn’t enough in such situation.
    Signing Mahrez would be utterly fantastic for Arsenal​but they need to get a move on while he’s still available! Get Sanchez to sign a new contract already or sell him to Bayern Munich and reshape the team with Mahrez and Lacazette (Mbappe will stay in Monaco before heading to Real Madrid eventually)

  5. We seem to have issues with acclimating players from foreign leagues in their first season. Given that Wenger needs to guy the ground running he should probably look for at least one player from EPL and Mahrez is probably the best player available in England.

  6. Yet, nothing in concrete and certain here, all speculations, the only thing clear is Mahrez wanna leave so it makes a deal easier…

    I wonder how Arsenal fans would feel if Sanchez did what Mahrez has done by announcing his intention to leave..I know we have been there before with RVP but Sanchez doing the same will be like a heart break…

    Having said that, if Sanchez stays, (still hopeful he will)we don’t need Mahrez in my opinion even if Sanchez goes I’d still prefer Douglas Costa and another very good striker before Mahrez…

  7. OT:

    Bayern announces Gnabry, what a fairy tale for him, from a long term injury to being benched on loan at West brom, announcing himself again at the Olympics and signed by Werder Bremen ( although there was a rumour at that time that Bayern used Bremen to sign him at a lower price) from W.bremen to Bayern..
    I wish him well, just hope Sanchez won’t be jealous and follow suit…lol

    1. Munich signed him for Freeeeee! Gnabry activated a release clause that he inserted into his contract with W.Bremen.

  8. Douglas Costa my foot,I think if mahrez is smart enough he won’t go to barca Bcos he will play most of his games from bench.arsenal view he’s an advance to Walcott. If any player want to leave Arsenal they are free

  9. Wenger is never going to pay what Leicester want for Mahrez so don’t get your hopes up,besides Mahrez has said he wants to play for a club in Champions League not Europa League.

  10. OT

    119 – Only Just Fontaine has a better mins per goal rate (63) than Olivier Giroud (119) among the Top 10 goalscorers for France. Efficient.

    Optajoe stats

  11. Probably blown out of context or lost in translation? ?? could the Rats be seriously jumping ship? ?? as Koscielny would say ” I don’t know ”

    Speaking in an interview with Téléfoot, Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny cast serious doubt about his future in the face of interest from Marseille.

    “I have a contract with Arsenal, I even signed an extension last November until 2020. I feel very good over there… I have always said that I was a Marseille fan when I was younger. When a mythical club like Marseille contact you, it is good. But will I sign for them? I have no idea at all

  12. Who will we be signing tomorrow I wonder…. Benzema maybe?

    The circus is in town once again.

  13. Kos is singing the praises of Marseille the team he supported as a kid…

    Another through the outdoor?

    1. Nah, no French player will ever badmouth a club like Marseille as they know that’d be the best chance they’d have to finish their career in a good French club years down the line.
      Marseille is apparently after Sagna for example and, with his Man City career winding down, that’s a decent move for him. Neither Kos or Giroud are at this stage of their career however nor will be for a couple of years.l so we’re good.

  14. Oh ken oh ken oh ken, when Wenger does he gets slated for buying cheap, such fickle fans my friend.

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