Arsene Wenger has his say on Riyad Mahrez’s situation at Leicester City
Arsene Wenger has asked players to be more “professional” as he aimed a classic Arsene dig at Riyad Mahrez.
The Arsenal boss was speaking to the media ahead of North London Derby on Saturday, and when asked about the current dispute between Leicester City and Mahrez, the Frenchman was more or less in support of the club, not the player.
Arsene Wenger also claimed to have some knowledge of the complete story behind Riyad Mahrez’s failed move to Manchester City, though he chose not to speak any more than what was required.
When asked about the saga, he said:
"“You want the clubs to behave well and the players to behave well,’ he said ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Spurs.“In the case of Mahrez, I know a little bit of the story, I wouldn’t like to come out on that because it’s very difficult for me to assess what’s happening in a different club.“Overall, you want the players to behave 100% professionally committed to the club.“I wouldn’t like to assess the situation at Leicester, it’s not my job to do that”."
This is why we all love “Big Arsene Wenger”, who keeps on reminding us that while his on-field excellence may have lost its spark, his ability to play with words stays just the same.
And we can all agree with what the 68-year old has to say. There is little doubt about whether Riyad Mahrez could have opted for a more professional way of expressing his frustrations with the club than going AWOL, though it’s also true that Leicester could have themselves done more for the player.
Mahrez’s current status means that he won’t be in the Leicester City side to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, missing his third successive game, having already been left out against Swansea City and Everton.
Next: FREE MAHREZ: PFA steps in to resolve Riyad Mahrez issue
With the PFA now involved as well, one can sense that some kind of a solution might hopefully be around the corner – whatever that may be. Such matters can easily get to a team’s performances, which is the last thing that Claude Puel would want at this stage.