MAHREZ MAYHEM: Claude Puel demands more respect from other teams
Claude Puel has accused Manchester City of a lack of respect in their pursuit of Riyad Mahrez, saying that he doesn’t know if their approach was normal.
Leicester City thought they had managed to keep hold of Riyad Mahrez, but with just two days remaining in the transfer window, the Citizens dropped a bombshell as a series of bids unsettled the Algerian.
Soon after he saw City’s bid rejected, Mahrez put in a transfer request, only to disappear from the club a day ahead of their Premier League fixture against Everton at Goodison Park, which the Foxes lost 2-1.
The league leaders didn’t keep quiet on the Deadline Day either, doing everything they could to tempt Leicester City into selling Riyad Mahrez; however, even a £65 million-plus-player offer didn’t prove enough and Manchester City decided to put their chase to bed.
Even after the Deadline Day, Mahrez remained AWOL, missing another fixture against Swansea City before finally returning in a 5-1 hammering to, well, Manchester City.
After such a period of turbulence and uninvited activity, things are back to normal at the King Power Stadium as Riyad Mahrez eyes his first start later this week; but Claude Puel has decided to make a few things clear for the future, demanding more respect from his opponents as far as Leicester City in particular are concerned. Addressing the Mahrez saga, he said:
"“To make solicitation just one or two days before the end of the transfer window, I don’t know if it is normal.“We don’t have a lot of players with the same quality like Riyad.“For some other teams, it is not a difficulty to replace their players. We’re not a squad like some great teams at the top of the table. We need to manage better and we need also perhaps some respect from others.”“It was important Riyad gave his feeling in the dressing room. It was important to keep united with the players and the team – this is the most important thing.“He came with the squad at the weekend, he travelled with the squad, it was important for him that he came with us to stop this situation.“The club, the players, the squad, the staff, tried to manage this situation with the best feeling. They welcomed him with a good feeling, now it is important to move on.”"
Next: Leonardo Ulloa explains how Arsenal helped Leicester City win the title
Contrary to what Puel has claimed, Manchester City are understood to have made contact for Riyad Mahrez about a week before the Deadline Day, as per Sky Sports.