Arsenal and Chelsea should pursue transfer as £60m star threatening to quit Man City

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Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez is reportedly unsettled at the club after a difficult first season since his £60million transfer from Leicester City.

The Algeria international was a world class performer during his time at the King Power Stadium, winning the PFA Player of the Year prize in that memorable 2015/16 campaign in which he played a starring role guiding Leicester to a shock Premier League title win.

However, he hasn’t played as much in his time at Man City, and it now seems like his future at the Etihad Stadium could already be in serious doubt.

According to the Daily Mail, Mahrez has been openly complaining about a lack of first-team opportunities, with the headline of the piece suggesting he’s threatening to quit the club already.

Riyad Mahrez transfer ideal for Arsenal or Chelsea

If the 28-year-old does end up leaving City this summer, he could surely still earn himself a chance at another big club, and we think Arsenal and Chelsea make sense as possible destinations.

Eden Hazard has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid as he heads towards the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, and at his best, Mahrez is a similarly skilful talent capable of scoring and assisting in high numbers from that position.

Calciomercato recently linked Chelsea as being interested in Philippe Coutinho or Nicolas Pepe as potential Hazard replacements, but one imagines Mahrez could be a cheaper option, and he’d also have a point to prove after being overlooked by Pep Guardiola.

Riyad Mahrez is unsettled at Manchester City

Of course, Chelsea may still face a transfer ban this summer, which would be a big stumbling block, but if they can get it delayed through appeal, they should go all out for this potential signing.

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Arsenal, meanwhile, are being tipped by another report in the Mail to embark upon a mass clear-out this summer, which could see attacking players like Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan offloaded.

If this does come to pass, the Gunners will surely need a proven performer like Mahrez to come in as an upgrade on the likes of Alex Iwobi in that attacking midfield department.

It will be interesting to see how this Mahrez situation develops over the coming months.

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