Leicester City are close to sealing a shock Premier League title win following a 4-0 victory against Swansea on Sunday at the King Power Stadium. The win was followed by more good news later that evening, as Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez was crowned PFA Player of the Year.
The former-Le Havre star has been one of the main reasons for the Foxes fantastic campaign. Not only has he found the net 17 times in the Premier League, he has also produced a further 11 assists in the top-flight.
Unfortunately for Leicester though, Mahrez’s form has inevitably attracted interest from higher-profile clubs, with the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal reported to be interested in signing the 25-year-old this summer.
Both clubs will have their attractions for Mahrez, especially the prospect of bigger wages on offer in north London and Catalonia. Leicester are not poor by any stretch of the imagination, but would not be able to match the prospective wages at Arsenal or Barcelona.
However, Mahrez has been part of something truly special at Leicester this season and will be playing in the Champions League next season with the Foxes. Maybe the chance of representing the Foxes in Europe’s elite competition will be enough to keep the French-born star in the Midlands.
The glitz and glamour of a club like Barcelona may be too much and may turn the winger’s head. The Blaugrana team is currently packed full of world-class stars though and it is unlikely that Mahrez would be a regular at the Nou Camp.
Maybe regular first team football at Leicester and being part of something special with the Foxes will be enough to persuade the Algerian that his future is in the Midlands.