A year after requesting a transfer to a top six club, Riyad Mahrez was sold to Manchester City for £60 million. Now Leicester City have a huge hole to fill, as they have lost their most talented player.
The future may initially look bleak without him, but the club has enough depth to cope with his departure.
The natural replacement
The loss of Mahrez sets up a changing of the guard for one young Leicester player. Demarai Gray has always yearned for a bigger role at the club. No doubt that Gray has talent, as he is not only a England Under-21 international, but he is also the most exciting young player that Leicester City have.
However, his inconsistent play and Mahrez’s permanent position in the starting XI has left Gray on the bench for most of the last season.
Though the young winger made 35 appearances, 18 of them were through substitution. Now, he has the chance he has waited for.
But Gray is not the only Leicester player vying for the position that Mahrez left behind. The two more players that can fill the hole are Fousseni Diabate and Ahmed Musa.
The Ligue 2 pick up and the World Cup wonder
When Diabate was bought in the winter transfer window, there were dreams of the young French attacking midfielder being a Mahrez 2.0. It was actually seen as a move to replace Mahrez, though the French manager has insisted the two cannot compare. Time will tell if Diabate will pan out, but from how he has performed so far, the Foxes have landed a rock-solid player.
Another possible replacement Ahmed Musa’s tenure at Leicester has been a quagmire. Since signing in the summer of 2016, his best performances have either come on loan at CSKA Moscow or for the Nigerian national team.
Though he did not make a single appearance in the Premier League last season, Musa’s quality during the World Cup has caught the eye of Puel. His displays at the World Cup have shown his quality, and with Mahrez’s departure, the Nigerian may have found his opportunity to restart his career at Leicester.
The new kid
Although the Leicester City have considerable depth, that has not stopped them from having a busy summer transfer window. The most notable of their signings has been James Maddison, who they bought for £22 million.
Maddison, an English Under-21 International, scored 14 goals and had eight assists for the Canaries last season. However, he does not naturally play at Mahrez’s position, as he plays more of a No.10 role. That being said, Maddison has the potential of being a creative force on the pitch in a way that would make the Algerian wizard proud.
Go for broke
If Puel and Leicester City still do not feel they have enough to replace Mahrez, there still are a couple of players who they could make a move for.
Xherdan Shaqiri, the fabulous Swiss winger – also a Liverpool target – will be leaving the relegated Stoke City for a cheap fee of £12 million. Shaqiri, who scored eight goals for Stoke last season, is one of the most sought after wingers this transfer window. The other is Marcus Rashford.
The young English international has fallen out of favor at Old Trafford and a loan move is possible. Though it would only be for one season, a talent like Rashford is rare, and one Leicester will not pass up on. With Rashford or Shaqiri, the Foxes would be able to bridge the talent gap that Mahrez will be leaving. However, there is no player out there who can perfectly replace the Algerian international.
Life after Mahrez
Clearly, Riyad Mahrez will be missed. It is not an exaggeration to say that he may be the greatest player to have ever put on a Leicester kit. However, the club is prepared to succeed without him.
Yes, it will be difficult to initially succeed without Mahrez, but Leicester are still a wealthy club with a well-rounded squad and a strong starting XI.
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Without Mahrez, the East Midlands outfit still has the capability to be in the top half of the table, and earn upwards of 55 points. It will be hard, but losing Mahrez is not the end of the world.