His sulk’s over, but Mahrez will get his way
Riyad Mahrez finally reported back for work on Friday after his eight-day absence following his deadline-day failure to join Manchester City.
The Algerian forward has been on what some might describe as a strike and can most kindly be termed “compassionate leave” since the League leaders tried to buy him and Mahrez put in a transfer request to try to force the move through.
Leicester, though, rejected a series of bids and the Champions-elect eventually withdrew their interest, leaving the player high and dry.
I have some sympathy for Mahrez. Who wouldn’t want to move to a club who’d double your wages and guarantee you medals this season and every season in the foreseeable future?
That’s not being disloyal, greedy or stroppy – adjectives most Foxes fans are currently using about the man who helped them to their one moment of genuine glory in decades – it’s being human.
Nevertheless, I’m in Leicester’s corner on this one. They’ve stood up to the Manchester club’s financial muscle and refused to be bullied into selling their most prized asset.
The received wisdom is that the players have all the power these days. Leicester made a stand and showed they can’t be dictated to.
Of course, Mahrez will inevitably leave the King Power in the summer, so you could say he’ll get his way in the end, but it will be at a time of the club’s choosing – and that’s how it should be.
Recently, Liverpool spurned Barcelona’s interest in Philippe Coutinho and Southampton resisted Liverpool’s pursuit of Virgil van Dijk, but in both those cases the player went in the next window.
Mahrez has been agitating to leave Leicester almost since he signed a new £100,000-a-week, four-year contract after they won the title 18 months ago.
Leicester dug in their heels. First, Arsenal were told “no sale” and now Manchester City have been shown that having a bottomless pit of cash doesn’t mean you always get your own way.
These days the TV money means that virtually every Premier League club can decide when they sell and for how much. Mid-ranking clubs can no longer be made to bow to the whims of the Big Six.
So what happens next? Foxes boss Claude Puel is making the right noises, saying that he hopes Mahrez can “get his head right” and be integrated back into the team and, if some kind of peace can be brokered, then they can all stumble through the next four months.
But it will be difficult. Bridges have been burnt with the fans and possibly with some of his team-mates. There is no long-term future at Leicester for Mahrez now.
His immediate choice is to sulk or to show a professional attitude.
Interested parties will be watching closely which he chooses.