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Manchester United Transfer News: Riyad Mahrez Bid Reported Amid Spurs Rumours
December 21, 2015
Manchester United have reportedly made a concrete offer for the services of Leicester City attacker Riyad Mahrez, but Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur have matched the bid.
French newspaper Le 10 Sport quoted a report from French television programme Telefoot, which claimed both English outfits have already offered a sum of £29.9 million (€41 million) for the Leicester talisman (h/t ESPN FC's Tom Doyle).
Based on this season's performances so far, one would expect the Red Devils to be more desperate than Spurs in their bid to land a new winger, with Memphis Depay struggling since his arrival in the Premier League and injuries mounting at Old Trafford.
However, the player's agent Kamel Bengougam has distanced his client from a winter move, telling Sky Sports this week he thinks Mahrez will remain at Leicester: "I don't think Leicester want to sell him and he is focused on doing well with them. I think he will stay in January."
Mahrez also appears content with the current Premier League leaders and is eager to see the project through at King Power Stadium, per the Mirror, via Doyle's report: "It is good to have clubs that are interested in you but I feel very good at Leicester and it would be stupid to leave in January, especially because we are in first position!"
Alongside team-mate Jamie Vardy, Mahrez's rise to ruling the Premier League this season has been one of the more pleasant surprises for any neutral, and his surge appears to be more than a mere flash in the pan.
The Algeria international moved to Leicester from French minnows Le Havre last year and unsurprisingly isn't looking to upset the groove he's found in England, according to Di Marzio translator David Amoyal:
The 24-year-old will prove a difficult target to lure given Leicester are on track for a serious Premier League title challenge with him in their ranks—a prize for which they'd surely risk keeping the winger in the long run.
Daniel Storey of Football 365 likened Mahrez's form to that of Eden Hazard last season, where the Chelsea forward's performances were enough to bag him the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award:
United have been forced to contend with a major injury list of late, but the wings may have already been considered in need of reinforcements. Youngsters Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira have both been promoted to first-team duty as a result of absences this season.
Spurs may not be as readily able to spend as much as the Red Devils, but as Doyle's report mentioned, Premier League clubs are set to receive a lot of income from the new television rights deal.
Leicester's power of retention may increase with that boost in funding, but Old Trafford and White Hart Lane still boast the kind of allure the King Power Stadium simply can't match.
The wheels already look to be in motion as United and Tottenham gear up to sign Mahrez next year, but the player remains confident any move will be put off until summer at the earliest.