Riyad Mahrez could be the upgrade Tottenham, Pochettino need

Riyad Mahrez could prove to be the upgrade Tottenham Hotspur and manager Mauricio Pochettino need as the club pursues a Premier League title.

In football, as in life, change comes quickly and unexpectedly. Think back to the world as we knew her only 12 months prior. Leicester City were roughly one month removed from completing the 5000-to-1 odds journey that saw them become the unlikeliest of Premier League champions. Leicester attacking midfielder Riyad Mahrez, meanwhile, was flying high and serving as PFA Fans’ and Players’ Player of the Year and a talent linked with the likes of Barcelona.

Those days seem as if they occurred in a different universe, let alone a year ago, heading in the summer of 2017. Leicester flirted with relegation throughout the opening half of the 2016-17 campaign, so much so that the club understandably sacked manager Claudio Ranieri not long after he was named FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year. Mahrez was one of several stars who faded during domestic play, but he did have a role in the club earning a trip to the quarterfinal round of the Champions League.

In a move that surprised nobody who followed the situation, Mahrez announced at the end of May he wishes to depart Leicester. From the BBC:

"In a statement Mahrez wrote: “Out of the huge admiration and respect I hold for Leicester I wanted to be totally honest and transparent. I have informed the club that I feel now is the time for me to move on.“I had a good discussion with the chairman last summer and we agreed at that time that I would stay for another year in order to help the club as best as I could following the transition of winning the title and in the Champions League.”"

Enter Tottenham Hotspur, a club that could use the upgrade in its attack and one that, unlike Leicester, remained in the Champions League for another cycle. Add in that Mahrez would likely enjoy playing in the type of attacking system utilized by Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, and Mahrez agreeing to a deal with Spurs seems, on paper, logical for all involved.

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If only football, and life, while we’re at it, was so simple. Per Metro, Mahrez prefers to make the switch to Barcelona over any England club. That’s great and all, but it also may be wishful thinking considering he’s coming off a rather lackluster season. You can cross fingers on both hands when you purchase a PowerBall ticket. That doesn’t mean you’ll be cashing in the morning after the numbers are selected.

The possibility exists Chelsea could be in for Mahrez, both to bolster the club’s squad and to prevent Tottenham from making a top signing as the Blues have done in the past. Mahrez would join former teammate N’Golo Kante at the reigning Premier League champions, Chelsea would unquestionably win a bidding war for his services and the champs could offer higher wages than what he’d receive at Tottenham.

Say, for the sake of argument, Chelsea don’t come calling for Mahrez’s services, and the race for his signature ends up being between Arsenal and Tottenham as has been suggested in online rumors over the past month. Such a decision should be easy for Mahrez. Spurs are closer to winning the title than Arsenal, and Tottenham can offer Champions League matches the Gunners won’t have in their fixtures during the 2017-18 season.

Earlier this month, our own Rucker Haringey suggested Tottenham should allow Mahrez to sign with Arsenal so Spurs can, instead, target Monaco attacker Thomas Lemar. While Haringey made some solid points, it should be noted Mahrez seems the better fit among the two players.

Lemar is, at 21 years old, the younger of the two, but the 26-year-old Mahrez is hardly in the twilight of his prime. Mahrez is used to the physicality and pace of the Premier League, and his style of play is perfect for the wide pitch of Wembley Stadium that will host Tottenham home matches for at least one season. Mahrez also has experience chasing and winning the league title and performing in the Champions League, so there’s no reason to believe he’d flop playing underneath the bright lights of Wembley.

It also cannot be forgotten Tottenham are nothing if not frugal. That may change once the club’s new stadium is built and hosts multiple National Football League contests every fall, but nobody should expect Tottenham to break the bank on any major signings this summer. It’s public knowledge Mahrez wants to leave Leicester, and his wage demands aren’t unreasonable per Julien Quelen of Goal.com. He may end up a value-signing when all is said and done.

All of this is, of course, only speculation, as Tottenham have shown no real interest in Mahrez as far as those of us outside the club know. What’s clear is Spurs are but a few figurative steps from climbing to the top of the Premier League table and establishing themselves as a club that’s capable and willing to hang with the supposed biggest entities in England. Acquiring Mahrez could help Tottenham get to where they want to be by the end of the decade.

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