Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez announced his desire to leave the club last month, and reports claim he’s waiting for a move to Barcelona.
The 26-year-old wasn’t as effective last season as the Foxes were unable to get anywhere close to the level that they displayed in their incredible Premier League title-winning campaign the year before.
Nevertheless, he still ended with 10 goals and seven assists in 48 appearances in all competitions, but he explained in his statement that ultimately he feels it’s time to move on this summer.
According to Sport, his agent has already spoken to Barcelona officials, but the Catalan giants have informed them that ultimately there are other priorities for them this summer, namely a new right-back as they have failed to find a solution in that department since Dani Alves left last summer.
It’s added in the report that there is also interest from Arsenal and Chelsea to consider and so Barca will surely be well advised to avoid waiting too long, although Mahrez is prepared to wait for them while his transfer fee and wages are deemed affordable for the La Liga outfit.
While it would take around €40m to prise him away, Barcelona believe that they can negotiate that price down, although Gerard Deulofeu and Ousmane Dembele are two names mentioned in the report as being preferred options if a deal can’t be struck for the Algerian international.
On one hand, it could be looked at that Mahrez will take his game to the next level surrounded by great players and could be a very useful addition to the squad. However, with increased competition, it’s questionable as to how much he would play and whether or not it would really be the best move for his career to move to the Nou Camp.