Foxes in the market: Riyad Mahrez warned by Leicester City
Riyad Mahrez has been issued a warning by Leicester City to either be professional or be the benchwarmer at the King Power Stadium.
The Algerian released a statement earlier this summer, highlighting his desire to ply his trade at a bigger club. Arsenal and Barcelona have been the two most linked clubs to the the former PFA Player of the Year, although none of the two have submitted an offer for him yet.
Next: Leicester City must get rid of Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez returned to training with Leicester City on Friday, but it is believed that he has his eyes firmly set on an exit, something that hasn’t gone down well with Craig Shakespeare and company.
Now the City Boss has come out and spoken about the troublemaking playmaker, demanding him to be more committed and slightly more professional while he is a Leicester City player.
"“He has to be professional. We have to be professional with him but more importantly he has to be committed and I think he has to show supporters, staff and players that,” said Shakespeare. “If he’s selected he has to perform and if he doesn’t show commitment he won’t play. He’s got a contract with us, so he has to understand that.“We haven’t had any bids and if we don’t have one, we’ve got no decision to make. The decision making comes when we have a bid and we can assess that when it happens.“Knowing him as I do, I think Riyad was just trying to be as honest as he can. Of course it can disappoint the fans but I need to really sit down with him one-to-one and see where he’s at, in his head and how he feels.”"
Mahrez, 26, has been reportedly valued at £50 million by Leicester City, with the club determined to stick to their asking price. This stubborn approach to selling their star player has apparently led to hesitation from his potential suitors.
Riyad Mahrez’s situation has also had a bearing on City’s pursuit of Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Swansea City player has been recognised as one of the chief targets this season; however, his £40 million price tag means that Mahrez could be (or he has to be) used to fund the deal.
Leicester City are also after Manchester City’s £25 million man, Kelechi Iheanacho. With West Ham United now out of the race to sign him, the Nigerian is expected to join the Foxes in the coming days.