Arsenal Transfer News: Riyad Mahrez Decision Revealed Amid Barcelona Rumours

Leicester City vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has revealed star midfielder Riyad Mahrez told him not to worry about the Algerian’s transfer plans, as the PFA Player of the Year is set to snub the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona in favour of his current club. 

As reported by Dave Armitage of the Daily Star, Mahrez’s future has become a hot topic after his agent said there was only a “50-50” chance he would stay with the Foxes, and with the likes of Barcelona, the Gunners and Paris Saint-Germain all said to be interested, there was cause for concern at the King Power Stadium.

But, per Srivaddhanaprabha, those concerns have been lifted:

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We’re relaxed about it. Mahrez said to me ‘Don’t worry.’ He wants to stay.

I can’t say that he will stay for definite but I can say we have no policy or desire to sell players.

We will do everything in our power to keep the team together. We have the money and we are in the Champions League next season.

All the players understand the situation and I will try to do everything I can to support the players and support the manager.

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Manager Claudio Ranieri also didn’t sound too worried, saying he’s “99 per cent confident” Mahrez won’t be leaving the new Premier League champions.  

Mahrez still has three years left on his current deal and only makes £35,000 per week, remarkably little for a player who guided his team to the Premier League title. In all likelihood, signing him to a new, improved deal will be one of the team’s top summer priorities.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

With 17 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League this season, the 25-year-old’s role in Leicester’s title run cannot be understated.

Kevin Palmer of the Sunday World questioned why he wasn't in the club's kit launch:

Clubs in Leicester’s position have struggled keeping hold of their top stars in the past. Atletico Madrid suffered a sharp decline after their Spanish title win in 1996, Deportivo La Coruna lost too many key figures from their 1999-2000 success and Parma imploded in the years following their UEFA Cup triumph in 1999.

The Premier League’s enormous TV deal means things could be different for Leicester, however. As reported by MailOnline’s Sam Cunningham, Premier League clubs will see a vast increase in their funds this summer, and that will make it easier for some of the smaller clubs to keep the English giants from taking their players.

The John Stones saga perfectly illustrated this last summer. According to talkSPORT, Everton turned down offers as high as £38 million from Chelsea for a player who, while clearly talented, had limited experience playing at the highest level.

Under normal circumstances, the Toffees would have cashed in and invested the money to attract several instant-impact players, but given the Premier League’s new wealth, Everton didn’t have to, even when the Blues offered as much as £38 million.

Leicester’s situation is similar, and unless Mahrez has his eyes set on bigger and better things, it will take a massive offer for the Foxes to consider a sale. According to Srivaddhanaprabha, Mahrez is perfectly happy where he is right now, so it will take some effort to convince the Algeria international to leave.

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