Manchester City Reportedly Set to Pursue Riyad Mahrez in £60 Million Deal

Manchester City are reportedly set to make a £60 million move for Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez.

According to The Guardian's Jamie Jackson and Stuart James, City have turned to the Algerian after pulling out of a deal for Alexis Sanchez, who subsequently joined Manchester United.

Mahrez is said to be "seeking showdown talks to force the transfer." Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports later reported Mahrez has handed in a transfer request after Leicester rejected two bids from Manchester City.

The Sky Blues' interest in Mahrez could have been ignited by Leroy Sane's injury suffered in their FA Cup clash with Cardiff City, which will require a spell on the sidelines, per City's official Twitter account:

The 26-year-old, who was named PFA Player of the Year in 2016 for his help in firing Leicester to the Premier League title, has enjoyed a strong season with nine goals and as many assists in all competitions.

WhoScored.com illustrated his impressive form in recent weeks:

He'd also be eligible to play in the UEFA Champions League and has experience in the competition after helping the Foxes reach the quarter-finals last year.

Football writer Shane Burns is not excited by the possibility of City signing him, though:

"

Couldn’t be anymore unenthusiastic about potentially signing Mahrez. Would much prefer Leon Bailey. Stinks of a panic signing.

— Shane Burns (@ShaneBurns_) January 30, 2018"

While Mahrez is an excellent player with a proven track record of making decisive impacts in Premier League matches, it would be something of a strange move.

According to the Press Association (via MailOnline), City pulled out of signing Sanchez because they were unwilling to pay more than £20 million for him.

Even accounting for Sanchez's contract situation, the Chilean is only two years older than the Algerian and he's a higher calibre of player, so a willingness to pay £60 million for Mahrez seems unlikely. Sanchez would also have been a more natural fit thanks to his superior work rate off the ball.

Sane's loss for the coming weeks is a blow, but City already have an alternative in Bernardo Silva—it would make more sense to allow him a run in the team than to splash out on Mahrez.