Guardiola finally closing in on £60m deal for Mahrez

Manchester City are close to sealing the protracted £60 million clubrecord signing of Riyad Mahrez.

The Leicester City winger could have a medical this week as talks reach a conclusion between the clubs after lengthy negotiations over the summer.

Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, wants the Mahrez deal concluded this month after failing in a bid to sign him in January. The deal is still not fully agreed but there is growing expectation that the 27-year-old’s move will go through in the next few days.

Leicester have granted Mahrez a week off training after he played in an international friendly for Algeria and he is expected back on Monday.

They are keen to complete the deal once and for all, to avoid the prospect of friction with Mahrez. It is understood the move will be tied up by the time he returns. City head to the United States for a pre-season tour this month.

Mahrez’s sale would represent a huge profit for Leicester, who signed him from Le Havre for £450,000 in January 2014. After a slow start, he emerged as one of the bargain buys of the decade and helped Leicester to write their name into Premier League history by playing a key role in the title triumph of 2015-16.

He was the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year that season but endured a difficult time the next year. After a move to Manchester was blocked in January, he handed in a transfer request and went on a self-imposed strike for over a week before returning.

Leicester remain keen on signing former England Under-20 winger Patrick Roberts from City, with a £10 million fee likely to secure him.

City, meanwhile, are closing in on another prolonged transfer deal, the £44 million capture of Napoli midfielder Jorginho.