DEADLINE DAY: FC Barcelona not interested in Riyad Mahrez
FC Barcelona aren’t interested in Riyad Mahrez, and they won’t be making any Deadline Day offer for the Leicester City star.
The Algerian left his national team to finalise his move to an unknown club the other day, with there being reports that Barcelona were reportedly going to sign him in a shock €50 million move.
However, Spanish Journalist Guillem Balague has now confirmed that the La Liga outfit aren’t interested in him and are still focused on Phillipe Coutinho.
It’s not just Barcelona who have been ruled out of a move for the 26-year old but Arsenal as well, who are back in for Thomas Lemar and have apparently made a £90 million offer for the AS Monaco footballer.
Barça say they not interested in Mahrez. That kills that one then.
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) August 31, 2017
Nada de nada en lo de Mahrez al Barça según el club pic.twitter.com/gmKBxYenoH
The news will come as a blow and a half to Riyad Mahrez, who has been keen to move on from the King Power Stadium all summer but just hasn’t been able to despite a lot of speculation.
He was the subject of as many as three bids from Roma, who were willing to pay a club record £36 million for him; however, Leicester City wanted £45-£50 million for the 2015/16 PFA player of the year, a price that the Italian side just couldn’t pay.
Next: DEADLINE DAY: Leicester City’s Calum Chambers bid rejected
With a few hours to go before the transfer window closes, it remains to be seen whether he’ll move at all and that too for the Foxes’ mammoth asking price. If he does stay, however, it’ll be a minor triumph for Craig Shakespeare, who has done very well with regards to the club’s transfer dealings.