Leicester City are reportedly in talks with winger Riyad Mahrez over a new £100,000-a-week deal to fend off interest from Arsenal.
The 25-year-old’s future has been the subject of significant speculation this summer, with the Foxes hoping to hold on to their prized asset.
Having already lost N’Golo Kante to Chelsea this summer, Claudio Ranieri will be desperate to avoid seeing Mahrez follow him out of the exit door at the King Power Stadium and join another Premier League rival.
According to The Express, Leicester will do their part in trying to convince Mahrez to stay by offering him a significant wage increase.
The Algerian international’s current deal offers him £40,000-a-week, but that will be increased to £100,000-a-week to put him in line with striker Jamie Vardy who penned a new deal earlier this summer after also being linked with a move to the Emirates.
As noted in the report, Ranieri is adamant that his star forward will stay at least another year, and given his impact last season with 17 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League, the loss of Mahrez would be a huge blow for the club.
“Riyad will stay with us. He is very happy. I see him every day and he has never talked to me about anything strange.
“I am confident about him. This comes from experience. Champions have a lot of rumours and speculation about them, and you have to be focused on your job. The speculation is not real.
“If he wants to sign a new contract it is okay with me. It is important he stays with us. Riyad wants to stay, because he wants to continue with us to keep having the experience. Everything else is just speculation.”
It’s no secret that Arsene Wenger wants to add another attacker to his squad, with Mahrez just one of the targets being linked.
However, after also being snubbed in his pursuit of Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, with the Ligue 1 outfit taking to Twitter to reveal details of an offer that they rejected, it remains to be seen whether or not the Arsenal boss continues with his pursuit of Mahrez or is forced to again look elsewhere for a suitable alternative.