Magnificent Mahrez finds his mojo in time for January sales
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez continued his fine run of form in a 3-0 home win over Huddersfield Town on Monday, very possibly upping his price should the Foxes agree to sell the winger in the January transfer window.
After a potential move to Serie A side Roma broke down in the offseason, unsettled Algeria international Mahrez found himself stuck at a club he felt he had outgrown.
“I am fiercely ambitious and feel now is the time to move on to a new experience,” Mahrez said at the time.
The 26-year-old had seemed destined for the Italian capital but two bids were rejected and, when the transfer window closed, Mahrez was faced with a fifth season with the Foxes.
“We wanted a left-footed winger to replace Mohamed Salah and put it all on Mahrez, but the only reason he didn’t come was because the club (Leicester) wouldn’t sell,” Roma sporting director Monchi had told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
The disappointment of the botched move appeared to affect Mahrez’s early-season form. Following two assists in his first two Premier League games of the campaign, he did not contribute to another Leicester goal in the next five matches.
However, he has been involved in 12 goals in 15 league appearances since — scoring seven and assisting five, and the 26-year-old has upped his game further in December.
The former Le Havre attacker has created more chances in each of the games against Burnley, Newcastle United and Southampton than in any of his 14 appearances before and more in total in those three matches than in the eight under Claude Puel’s predecessor, Craig Shakespeare.
Then, after Leicester had an off day in losing at home to Crystal Palace, Mahrez set up Jamie Vardy for the opener against Manchester United, scored in the defeat at Watford and provided another for Vardy at Liverpool before a goal and assist against Huddersfield hours before the January window opened.
“I would like to keep all my best players,” Puel said after Mahrez’s fantastic display on Monday. “We will ask him the question. For me I am happy to play with the team with Riyad.”
Leicester fans will agree with that sentiment after seeing a player who was so instrumental to their 2015-16 Premier League title success return to his best form.
However, with Mahrez having already expressed a desire to leave, he could be angling for a move in the coming weeks. This time, Leicester may just get an offer they cannot refuse.