Foxes in the market: Italian giants interested in Riyad Mahrez

Serie A giants Roma are interested in signing wantaway star Riyad Mahrez, according to Leggo.

The Italian club is reportedly following Mahrez’s situation at the King Power Stadium as they look to strengthen up front to give Juventus a run for their money. With the Algerian himself keen on a move, Roma are hoping to place a bid believed to be around £30 million.

The Serie A club’s interest comes after they recently sold Mohamed Salah to Liverpool in a £45 million deal. The Egyptian scored 19 goals last season (assisting a further 15 goals) in 41 appearances across all competitions, establishing himself as one of Europe’s top wingers. Now manager Eusebio di Francesco is demanding someone who is equally as good, and Riyad Mahrez has emerged as the man to do the job alongside Edin Dzeko.

Arsenal were believed to be leading the race for the Algerian earlier on, with several reports suggesting that a deal worth £35 million had already been agreed. However, there has been no official confirmation since, and it seems the Gunners see him as a second option if they fail to bring Thomas Lemar to The Emirates Stadium. Mahrez’s £50 million price tag could be another reason why Arsenal have cooled down their interest.

Next: Leonardo Ulloa close to agreeing a new deal with Leicester City

When Riyad Mahrez released a statement about his desire to leave while still being contracted to Leicester City, one could just sense that it was a transfer saga destined to drag on. Good luck, Riyad.