PSG are reportedly interested in signing Riyad Mahrez from Manchester City, with the Premier League champions hoping to extend his contract at the club.
According to a report from The Sun, Manchester City are ready to step up their efforts to try and tie Riyad Mahrez down to a new contract amid interest from French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain.
Mahrez is in his fourth full season with Manchester City after having signed from Leicester City in the summer of 2018. While he had a slow start at the Etihad Stadium, the 30-year-old has grown into an integral player for Pep Guardiola’s side. To date, he has 160 appearances for the Cityzens, scoring 47 goals and registering 39 assists.
Mahrez has had to share game-time with the likes of Ferran Torres, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus this season, restricting him to just three starts in the Premier League. However, he has still managed to make the most of his chances, racking up eight goals and two assists in 18 matches across all competitions.
Mahrez’s contract with Manchester City expires in the summer of 2023. And PSG have taken note of the situation and are reportedly interested in signing him in the summer. Les Parisiens have a fully-loaded attacking unit as things stand, but Angel Di Maria is out of contract at the end of the ongoing campaign.
Even though there is an option to extend the Argentine’s contract by another twelve months, he will be turning 34 in a few months and will need to be phased out. Furthermore, Kylian Mbappe will also see his contract expire in the summer and is likely to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.
His departure would leave a massive gap in the attacking unit at Parc des Princes, which has led to PSG identifying alternatives. Barcelona’s contract rebel Ousmane Dembele is a player that is the French giants’ radars, while Riyad Mahrez, too, has emerged as a viable target.
However, signing him from Manchester City will not be easy as Guardiola’s side are keen on handing the Algerian international a new contract and are set to ramp up their efforts to do so. It now remains to be seen if the Cityzens are successful in their endeavours to hand Mahrez a new deal or whether he decides to reject their offers and seek a new adventure, with there being interest from Spain as well.
