Leicester City manager Claude Puel believes that Riyad Mahrez could be worth £100 million by the summer due to the current market conditions.
As reported by The Sun, Claude Puel has claimed that the highly sought-after winger Riyad Mahrez’s value will have skyrocketed past the £100 million mark by the summer. The Leicester City manager also insisted that the player will not be leaving this month, amid interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.
Sanchez has well and truly rediscovered the form that saw him guide Leicester City to an unprecedented Premier League crown in the 2015-16 season. The campaign post the shock triumph was a lull for both the club and the player, but this time around the Foxes are in the running to possible qualify for Europe.
Mahrez boasts a fantastic tally of seven goals and eight assists in 23 Premier League outings, making him one of the most prolific contributors in the English top-flight this season. But, his Leicester future has remained a subject of intense speculation, pretty much for the last 12 months, with the player keen on a move away from King Power.
Mahrez had gone public with his transfer request last summer, when the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and several others were heavily linked with him, before Leicester managed to hold on to him. Coming into the winter transfer window though, his future has become uncertain once again, with the Gunners still in pursuit of the Algerian.
Riyad Mahrez completed more take-ons (8) than any other player in Europe’s top 5 Leagues this weekend.
In demand. pic.twitter.com/re5K5Re6JJ
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 15, 2018
The North Londoners are expecting Alexis Sanchez to finally call it quits this month, despite his transfer saga getting murkier with each passing day. Mesut Ozil’s future is extremely uncertain as well, and if he joins the Chilean on the exit trail as well, Arsenal would fall woefully short of quality attacking options, making Mahrez a viable target.
But, Arsenal are not alone in pursuit of the player, with Liverpool reportedly interested in signing him in the current window as well. The Reds are in need of bolstering their creative options following the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
In Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool have explosive bursts of pace, with Roberto Firmino someone who creates space and chances with his movement rather than his vision. With an out-and-out creative option lacking, Mahrez is an ideal target for the Merseyside club.
But, Arsenal and Liverpool have received a bit of a setback in pursuit of the the 26-year-old, with Puel adamant that he is headed nowhere, before also claiming that his value would soar well over the £100 million mark in the summer, if they do sell him then.
“Perhaps, in the summer he will cost even more than £100m. It is always the same thing about Riyad, it is just rumours, noise about him and other players. We can see Riyad smiling and enjoying his football and enjoying playing with his teammates and it is the same in training. It is speculation and we cannot respond to all the speculation without information.”
Indeed, the transfers of Virgil van Dijk and Philippe Coutinho this month seem to have inflated the market further, and Leicester would be hoping to strike gold, if they do sell Mahrez. It now remains to be seen if Arsenal and Liverpool manage to secure his services this month, or if they are forced to wait till the summer.
