Mahrez has asked to leave

[brucey]

8 minutes ago, TAFKA Castroneves said:

However removing emotion from the situation i'm actually not too concerned if he does move to another Premier League side - and actually if Arsenal offered us 50m, i'd snap their hand off over every other side. That might sound a bit mental - but we've seen Riyad for a few seasons now and it's very apparent that when the mentality "behind the doors" as such begins to get a bit more tough/challenging his personal performances suffer. In an Arsenal side where he is a potential replacement for a Sanchez i can only see performances like we saw this season for us, he wouldn't be a threat in that sort of an environment. Riyad plays at his best when he is loved by a club and his team-mates and allowed to be himself, I can't see that happening at Arsenal, otherwise surely they'd have seen us off for the league title last year. But of course that is just one example.

This. I've always felt he's emotionally fragile. He needs constant positive encouragement to keep up his confidence, as alluded to by various managers and Mahrez himself.

Which is why we continued to let him take penalties even though he's rather crap at them, perhaps overlooked some of his little indiscretions like lateness and a terrible diet, and continued to let him play while he's been off form.

If Sanchez leaves and he's the replacement, the pressure on his shoulders will be immense. Chants like not being fit to wear the shirt would destroy him. Arsenal are nowhere as good a team without Sanchez and if they start to struggle and look like finishing outside CL again, Riyad may regret his choice of club and feel he may never play in the CL again, which would affect his performance. If Sanchez stays, Riyad may be benched if he's having a poor run of form, which again would destroy his confidence. 

 

I'll miss him and his lovely first touch.

I won't miss his penalties!

[AmarteyAndChill]

7 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

If playing alongside Mahrez is the only thing attracting new signings here then we've done something badly wrong. 

It shows a lack of ambition, losing your best players. 

[NotTheMarketLeader]

3 hours ago, Watson said:

I'm not that bothered because of what he's done for us, but is publicly asking to leave that respectful? It certainly isn't the best way to get us a good price.

Agreed.

 

He IS doing a Payet, trying to force a move, so spare me this crap about being respectful, he's stitching the club up, with our bargaining power vastly weakened.

[z-layrex]

We won the league but at the end of the day we're still the same old Leicester once the dust settles. Can't hold on to our best players. We will never amount to anything, not permanently.

[fleckneymike]

Most skilful player I've ever seen in a city shirt and a once in a lifetime signing. We won't be able to replace him, much as we can't and couldn't replace Kante. 

 

Wish him well and am glad I've enjoyed a few seasons of watching a player that terrified opponents. 

 

 

[esoog]

He hasn't played consistently this year for a big club to eagerly pay up £35 upwards for him. So I agree he has tried bargain himself by putting out a transfer request. 

 

Even Arsenal fans are not going crazy as end of last season in signing him? Just a thought

[Tuna]

Well to quote Claudio Ranieri:

 

'Is Football'.

[GaelicFox]

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

who's been the club's most talented player in your eyes?

The most talented footballer I have ever seen at city was cambiassio even at his age he oozed class and virtually single handly saved us from relegation 

 

everything I have seen and read about Kieth Weller would suggest to me he was the most talented footballer to line out for us.  

 

mahrez on his day was very talented but he has way too many off days to be considered the most talented 

 

for me talent isn't shown in glimpses is shown over many games and maintained to the highest standards 

 

kante was the best player last year for me ... he has virtually inspired Chelsea to a title this year .... 

 

mahrez has buckets full of talent , but he is moody and arrogant at times and bone idle lazy for last 9 months So I'm sorry but I have no idea how that makes him the most talented player ever to wear a Leicester jersey 

 

People getting too sentimental about last year 

 

they forget all the moans and groans week after week sometimes when mahrez failed to deliver , look at the threads on here , many slagging him off 

 

talented YES 

 

the most talented NO .... 

 

but thats just an opinion 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Strokes]

1 minute ago, esoog said:

He hasn't played consistently this year for a big club to eagerly pay up £35 upwards for him. So I agree he has tried bargain himself by putting out a transfer request. 

 

Even Arsenal fans are not going crazy as end of last season in signing him? Just a thought

I think a transfer request could jack up the price, the bids will come flying in.

[Foxhateram]

I will be annoyed if he goes to a rival. He will win them valuable points that makes another one of the top 4 a force. Marseille would suit him best I feel. Arsenal will ruin him.

[st albans fox]

18 minutes ago, AmarteyAndChill said:

It shows a lack of ambition, losing your best players. 

Slight concern - especially if mahrez asked for asssurances re the the quality of players we intend to bring in before making his decision  

 

 

16 minutes ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

Agreed.

 

He IS doing a Payet, trying to force a move, so spare me this crap about being respectful, he's stitching the club up, with our bargaining power vastly weakened.

Depends if the club are going back on an assurance that he would be allowed to leave this summer 

[TheLittleBigMan]

Doesn't even look like he wrote that statement. the player/agent are panicking as there doesn't seem to be any bids coming in. Hopefully our owners will show some steel and refuse to sell him to another prem club. 

[I am an Ostrich]

At least we will get a new penalty taker now.....

[Samilktray]

3 minutes ago, TheLittleBigMan said:

Doesn't even look like he wrote that statement. the player/agent are panicking as there doesn't seem to be any bids coming in. Hopefully our owners will show some steel and refuse to sell him to another prem club. 

You're surprised that someone who speaks French didn't write his perfectly worded English statement? 

[NotTheMarketLeader]

3 hours ago, Bilo said:

The question is who is on the same level as Mahrez and wouldn't cost us £40m? To get someone of his ilk, that's the price tag these days. I daresay that the days of bargains like Mahrez for £400k, Vardy for £1m and Kante for £5m are behind us now. 

I imagine we'll be casting the scouting net into Europe. 

Let's get this right.

 

He's not been our best dribbler, key passer, number of assists or goals this season in nopen play.

 

The latter two in the PL are 4 and 3.

 

Thses are not the stats of a world beater who is irreplaceable.

[TAFKA Castroneves]

26 minutes ago, brucey said:

This. I've always felt he's emotionally fragile. He needs constant positive encouragement to keep up his confidence, as alluded to by various managers and Mahrez himself.

Which is why we continued to let him take penalties even though he's rather crap at them, perhaps overlooked some of his little indiscretions like lateness and a terrible diet, and continued to let him play while he's been off form.

If Sanchez leaves and he's the replacement, the pressure on his shoulders will be immense. Chants like not being fit to wear the shirt would destroy him. Arsenal are nowhere as good a team without Sanchez and if they start to struggle and look like finishing outside CL again, Riyad may regret his choice of club and feel he may never play in the CL again, which would affect his performance. If Sanchez stays, Riyad may be benched if he's having a poor run of form, which again would destroy his confidence. 

 

I'll miss him and his lovely first touch.

I won't miss his penalties!

You filled in the gaps and more detail from what i was saying perfectly

 

once again this isn't born out of bitterness, i hope he'd do well and become the player he wants to be wherever he goes as he's done so much for us and he deserves it for being a top player. However once again i worry for that mentality, if we could get a player with 3/4 of mahrez's feet and double the mentality we'd do very well here as well - but of course its exceptionally tough to find good players and chances are Riyads replacement will have his faults, hopefully we treat Gray in the same way for 10+ games now next season, regardless if he has the occasional stinker - if i was the gaffa id work very close with him every game next season, review moments from past games to improve his decision making and then we've potentially got a replacement here with Kaputska the next one in line, not bad eh?

[EnglishOxide]

Undoubtedly our most talented player ever.

 

But he's lost a lot of respect by going public here. Should have just kept his mouth shut and informed whoever necessary behind the scenes.

 

We need to be strong and not get mugged off on price and destination.

[Legend_in_blue]

I think we need to stop being overly harsh on Gray. 

 

Bottom line is if we're not prepared to give him a reallly good go in the position next season, we'll need two replacements, not just Mahrez.

 

 

[Harry96]

Wish him well best flair player I've seen for Leicester, hope he goes and flourishes in a top side.

[matty98]

Would be a bit disappointed if he went to Arsenal, he says he's ambitious and wants to play in the champions league. Arsenal haven't shown any real ambition in years and aren't in the champions league.

 

[Ric Flair]

4 hours ago, Fox92 said:

We won't get the price we would have last summer.

 

One good season isn't going to get him a top club.

It's got far worse players than Mahrez big moves before. We have to play hardball to get the right price though, I'd be looking to exploit a player or two in exchange as well.

[adejo92]

0 Effort all season. The clubs bigger than him. Bye.

[EGBFitness]

3 minutes ago, matty98 said:

Would be a bit disappointed if he went to Arsenal, he says he's ambitious and wants to play in the champions league. Arsenal haven't shown any real ambition in years and aren't in the champions league.

 

What you on about? Arsenal fans are already saying they are going to win the treble, Prem Fa and Europa 

[Freeman's Wharfer]

I think we all knew that this was coming and, in all honesty, I can't begrudge him wanting to leave having given us another year.

 

The guy's been class on and off the pitch for the three years we've been lucky enough to have him and I think, although it's not what we'd all want, even his statement is a classy way to state that he wants a move.

 

My main hope is that we don't get a stupidly low fee. There seems to be a clammering in the media to sell him for £25m which is just crazy given that the likes of Bolasie have gone for near enough £30m and there are other players who can't do anywhere as much as him that are being touted at crazy prices: Deeney (£30m), Walker (£40m) and Van Dijk (£50m).

 

The message has to be that we'll grant his wish but he'll not be going anywhere for less than £45m + add ons.

[Cunningfox]

I'm puzzled by Mahrez's attitude. If he was persuaded to stay another season but knew he would be in the shop window this summer, he had every reason to keep his value high, not for Leicester city's balance sheet, but for his own ambitions of playing at the highest level. Yet he does out there and basically does sod all most weeks. If I were a manager of a top European side which is where Mahrez wants to play, I'd definitely look elsewhere. Mahrez is incredibly talented, the most gifted player I've had the pleasure of seeing in a City shirt in 40 years, but he's proven that unless his head is in the right place he brings absolutely nothing to the team and that's a big risk with 40/50 million or whatever he's supposedly worth.