Arsenal hesitation may cost them Riyad Mahrez
Arsenal need to stop celebrating the signing of Alexandre Lacazette
Officials at Arsenal are very busy congratulating themselves over the signing of Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette. Unfortunately, that seems to have distracted Arsene Wenger and company from the task at hand.
Reports from England claim that the Gunners are dragging their feet over the signing of Leicester City wide man Riyad Mahrez. Arsenal are prepared to pay £35 million for the Algerian attacker, but the Foxes are prepared to hold out for a transfer fee of £50 million.
In fairness, I don’t believe Mahrez is the perfect signing for Wenger. In essence, he would just provide the North London club more of what they already possess. It’s not as if the Gunners are short on attacking talent. I believe they should be working harder to add steel to their midfield this summer.
Nonetheless, the possibility that Alexis Sanchez might leave this summer does make adding another attacker a reasonable plan. The club still have zero clarity regarding the Chilean’s future. His contract talks with Wenger and company have gone absolutely nowhere.
If they are looking to replace him, purchasing Mahrez could be a solid choice. Two years ago he was excellent during Leicester City’s surprising run to the Premier League title. His performance slid back precipitously last season, but most believe that was the result of a title-winning hangover. He certainly wasn’t the only Foxes star to suffer a down year.
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Wenger also seems like the perfect manager to bring the best out of Mahrez. He is a player that thrives on time and space with the ball. Arsenal won’t require him to put in too much of a defensive shift. The freedom he’d receive under Wenger could allow him to put up outstanding offensive numbers.
That’s precisely why Arsenal need to get on with things. Mahrez is returning to training with Leicester in the coming days. The Gunners will likely see his transfer price rise when he returns to training with his club. Dallying in this way is a good way to lose the ability to sign Mahrez altogether.
Next: Lacazette signing increases Alexis' demands
If Arsenal truly want to sign Riyad Mahrez, they need to stump the £50 million required to bring him to North London. It’s time for Wenger to either write the cheque or give up the chase.