Playing for 90
Fansided

Tottenham fans should hope Arsenal sign Riyad Mahrez

By Rucker Haringey

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Watford at The King Power Stadium on May 6, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Watford at The King Power Stadium on May 6, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Riyad Mahrez to Arsenal could prove productive for Tottenham

At first glance, the idea of Arsenal signing Riyad Mahrez seems like a nightmare for Tottenham. After all, Spurs aren’t in the market of hoping their neighbours will attract high-end talent. However, Tottenham could benefit massively from the Gunners signing the Foxes attacker.

Arsene Wenger has already stoked rumours connecting his club with the talented Algerian by admitting that he admires the player. He stopped short of saying that Arsenal have lodged a formal bid, but he certainly didn’t rule out the possibility in the future.

Most clubs seem to be waiting out Leicester to see if the club will drop their initial transfer demands. Immediately after Mahrez announced he wanted to leave, the Foxes officials put out word that the club would require £40 million pounds to part with him. Given the fact that no clubs have rushed forward to meet that price, it stands to reason that Leicester officials may be forced to drop their demands.

If they do, and Arsenal rush in, it could be excellent for their arch rivals. Both the Spurs and the Gunners are currently locked in combat over the services of Monaco attacker Thomas Lemar. Arsene Wenger’s club holds the early lead for his services due to their success bringing French talent through to prominence. Mauricio Pochettino would like to overcome Wenger’s advances.

More from Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal likely don’t have room for both Mahrez and Lemar in the same squad. The two aren’t precisely identical players, but they do fill the same role in the squad. Wenger won’t have the financial resources necessary to purchase two top end wingers in the same transfer window. Purchasing Mahrez would effectively eliminate Arsenal from the Lemar sweepstakes.

Without Arsenal to compete against, Tottenham’s chances of signing Lemar would increase dramatically. They still would need to fend off large clubs like Juventus to win the battle, but the allure of Premier League football does seem to have some sway with the Frenchman. Of course, there’s also a significant chance that Lemar may choose to stay put with Monaco for another season.

Next: Tottenham should turn the tables on United

Nonetheless, sending Mahrez to Arsenal would be a worthwhile risk for Tottenham fans. His addition to Wenger’s squad would essentially be more of the same for the French gaffer. On the other hand, Lemar joining Spurs would give Pochettino a completely different type of attacker to work with. He’s just the sort of player that could take Tottenham from very good to great next season.

Home/Tottenham Hotspur