YOU’VE BLOWN IT MAHREZ

Pep pulls plug after incredible sulk

PEP GUARDIOLA is ready to turn his back on sulking Riyad Mahrez for good. Manchester City boss Guardiola has been shocked by AWOL Leicester star Mahrez’s behaviour after failing to seal a deadline-day move to the Etihad. Starsport understands the Algerian’s vanishing act has now scuppered his chances of joining City once and for all. Mahrez (left) – who yesterday was absent from training for the fifth time in a week – has missed the Foxes’ last two games. Guardiola was considering making another

bid for him in the summer as he looks to add another attacking star to his squad. But the Spaniard now has major concerns over Mahrez’s character and is set to look elsewhere.

A club source said: “The manager loves him as a player, there is no secret about that. But what he’s seen in the last week or so has given him huge doubts about what sort of person he is.

“You need strong characters to win titles. Going missing is not the thing to do.You have to show more bottle than that and not desert your team-mates.”

Mahrez will once again sidestep Saturday’s clash against Guardiola’s Premier League leaders.

He claimed he was depressed when his proposed move to City collapsed.

The Foxes wanted a package totalling around £95m but City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak was not prepared to go higher than £60m.

Leicester have been reluctant to discuss the situation and have to be careful how they deal with Mahrez if his claims at being depressed prove to be true and he has a genuine illness.

Mahrez, 26, has handed in two transfer requests in the last six months and remains desperate to leave the 2016 Premier League champions.