Arsenal Transfer News: Riyad Mahrez Reportedly Favours Move to the Gunners

Riyad Mahrez favours a transfer to Arsenal over possible moves to Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, per Jack Wilson of the Daily Express.

Wilson noted how Leicester City winger Mahrez owns a house in London and would prefer to move to the English capital should he quit the Foxes this summer.

Even so, "Mahrez has withdrawn the transfer request he put in when the club put an £80 million price tag on his head after rejecting a £50 million-plus offer from Manchester City," per Wilson.

Yet Wilson also reported Mahrez still wants to leave the King Power Stadium, with the Gunners in his sights.

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Mahrez sounded cagey on his future when he recently told Sky Sports News: "I am still in contract with Leicester, so at the moment I am here and we will see."

However, as gifted as he is, Algeria international Mahrez wouldn't make much sense as a target for Arsenal this summer. That's especially true since manager Arsene Wenger will step down after nearly 22 years in charge.

The Frenchman has often built his teams around forward-thinking flair players. There's no doubt Mahrez has those qualities given he can thrive on either wing or as a No. 10.

Yet the squad Wenger will leave behind won't be short of gifted attacking midfielders. Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey are among Arsenal's notable creative talents.

There's also the not-so-small matter of what Mahrez might cost.

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The Foxes demanded £80 million when City came calling in January, according to Rob Tanner of the Leicester Mercury. Such a fee would likely prove prohibitive for the Gunners.

Arsenal will have around £50 million, before player sales, to spend on transfers this summer, per Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph. Wilson also noted how the club's failure to secure UEFA Champions League football for a second season running may negatively affect its finances.

The Gunners lost 2-1 on aggregate to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Europa League semi-final, condemning them to another season in Europe's second-tier tournament.

Arsenal's biggest transfer priority should be retooling a leaky defence. Wenger's side has conceded 48 goals in 35 league matches this term, and there are issues across the suspect back line.

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Skipper Laurent Koscielny has been ruled out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia this June after rupturing his Achilles against Atleti, per France boss Didier Deschamps (h/t BBC Sport).

Fellow centre-back Shkodran Mustafi has been in shaky form for most of the season. Meanwhile, right-back Hector Bellerin is wanted by Juventus, per Cadena Ser (h/t Owen Fulda of the Daily Star).

Left-back Nacho Monreal is 32, while Per Mertesacker is set to retire and take over the club's academy this summer.

Arsenal's transfer focus must be on improving the obvious weak point of the squad. It means the club should resist indulging any desire Mahrez may have to join the Gunners.