Riyad Mahrez. One of City’s best ever players. Should he stay or go?

[Guest Col city fan]

It strikes me that there remains a split in our fan base between those who think Riyad should be allowed to leave or should stay, regardless and honour his contract. Thus showing the club ‘loyalty’.

Supposing the club received what it felt was its ‘asking price’ for Riyad (whatever that is), would you still demand that he stayed with us or would you see him go with your blessing for all he’s done for the club?

Edited 5 March 2018 by Guest

[CollinsLCFC]

It's pretty much inevitable that he will leave in the summer, and I will be happy to see it out on good terms, not the way it nearly happened in January.

 

If he continues to play with his heart, whilst with us and moves to a bigger club next season to fulfill his ambitions, then that is fair enough.

[Beechey]

Nope, if a club meets what we value him at there's no reason to stop him going at all from what I can see. He wants to leave, he cost us £400,000, getting £60-£70m for him will be excellent and that can be reinvested.

[ScouseFox]

as has been the case for about 3 years since it was obvious that he was too good to play for us, if someone offers something close to what he is worth then he can go and make the most of his career. if clubs keep offering joke amounts then I don't think we should sell him, regardless of how "little he wants to be here". a narky, underperforming mahrez is pretty much still our best player most weeks. 

 

once a good enough offer comes in he gets a hero's send off, he's the best player this club will ever have and fully deserves to play for a top, top team, win leagues and cups and champions leagues year in, year out. 

[st albans fox]

If we were showing signs of breaking back into the top five/six then you could argue we could make an effort to keep him if we are prepared to increase his package. However, we seem a long way from that so if we get an offer close to our valuation then he should be allowed to leave with our good wishes and thanks. 

 

That valuation will be lower than jan - especially as the new tv deal hasn’t realised more than the existing one and it isn’t january. 

[Captain...]

He should want to leave for a bigger club and we shouldn't stand in his way if the right bid comes in at the right time.

 

I would have had no problem if he left last summer, but only Roma came in for him. If Man City had offered £60m last July then I would have reluctantly accepted it.

 

The problem was the timing of the bid in Jan it would have completely derailed our season and we were right to say no, but we were wrong to hang Mahrez out to dry. There should have been more official backing for the player and not the usual radio silence.

 

I would love Mahrez to stay here for the rest of his career and Kante and Drinkwater to return and Huth to drink from the fountain of youth and King to be a 15 goal a season midfielder again. We need to move on, so I only hope that a deal is done quickly and early and on the back of an FA Cup farewell win.

Edited 5 March 2018 by Captain...

[ZeGuy]

The guy wants to go and if a good offer (65-75M) is made then he should go. Personally with my blessing. Leicester plucked him out of the nothingness and he's fully paid his debt. We're square. I just hope he'll have a blinder for the rest of the season and winning the FA Cup would be fantastic.

 

I can see Chelsea, Arsenal and probably ManU coming in the summer for him. All these teams need quality on their right wing. And maybe, maybe ManCity.

Edited 5 March 2018 by ZeGuy

[Dan]

Go in the summer. It's totally different to when you've had a last gasp approach from Man City who were panicking because they lost Sane to an injury (that he was back from a fortnight later).

 

His heart is set on better. He's a top class player and if he continues to show that this next couple of months then he will have interest from the clubs he wants to join. I totally get why he wants to go. You can't watch that on Saturday and the week before and wonder why a player of such quality wants better. He's capable of it and he deserves to win trophies.

 

I obviously don't want him to go but we've done absolutely nothing to convince me we can match his ability since 2016. It's sad I'm saying that but it's true.

 

I just hope someone pays us properly this summer rather than offering below what we want right at the end of the window. His frustration should be aimed at Man City more than us.

 

I also think if we sell him, we need two genuinely creative signings this summer. I think we need one anyway. Without Mahrez we are painfully uncreative and will need another as well.

[AyewJoking]

We should demand any bids to be made early so we have plenty of time to cover ourselves (in shit) should he leave.

[foxy boxing]

We all would like him to stay but he wants to leave and play for a club that is regularly in the champions League. I would prefer he went abroad but i think he wants to stay in the Premier League unless of course Barcelona come calling for him(he wishes). we need to get as much money as we can for him and i would be upset if we receive less than 60 million.

[Ted Maul]

As long as the deal is right for the club, then he can go with my blessing.

 

It would be nice if we reinvested the money (left over from his replacement) on a new stand to increase the stadium capacity- what a legacy that would be.

[Babylon]

So long as it's with plenty of time an not a last minute job again, then he can go with my blessing. If we aren't given time to get a replacement, then I'm sorry but it's tough luck again.

[Redouane]

What's the point of this thread? How is the up to the fans for him to stay or leave? He's a grown ass man, he can make his own decisions. The fans can't force him to stay or leave

[AyewJoking]

5 minutes ago, Redouane said:

What's the point of this thread? How is the up to the fans for him to stay or leave? He's a grown ass man, he can make his own decisions. The fans can't force him to stay or leave

Unless we kidnap his goldfish........

[rachhere]

Have to let him go, as much as it saddens me.

 

Where he should consider going though is a different question. I just don't know if he is a complete enough player to play for one of the bigger teams in the Premier League. I think the fact that no one swooped in early on to get him last summer is telling. As valuable as he is to us I just don't see it with the other teams because of their existing squads, and lets be honest, he can be a bit of a liability in our half. 

[ZeGuy]

4 minutes ago, Redouane said:

What's the point of this thread? How is the up to the fans for him to stay or leave? He's a grown ass man, he can make his own decisions. The fans can't force him to stay or leave

[Guest]

Couldn't this have been asked in one of the existing 2072 Mahrez threads?

[AKCJ]

Comfortably the best player we've ever had.

 

The money means nothing to us as fans, we won't see a reduction in ticket prices or whatever if he's sold.

 

Unless an utterly bonkers offer comes in that would mean we'd be able to really bulk up the rest of the squad and find an able replacement then surely every Leicester fan would want to keep him? The man is absolutely magic and the only player in the squad who has the bravado to pull off the free kick he did on Saturday.

[AKCJ]

16 minutes ago, Redouane said:

What's the point of this thread? How is the up to the fans for him to stay or leave? He's a grown ass man, he can make his own decisions. The fans can't force him to stay or leave

Doesn't mean we can't discuss it.

[woznotwos]

6 minutes ago, FIF said:

Couldn't this have been asked in one of the existing 2072 Mahrez threads?

Where did I miss three threads ????

[SheppyFox]

1 hour ago, Beechey said:

Nope, if a club meets what we value him at there's no reason to stop him going at all from what I can see. He wants to leave, he cost us £400,000, getting £60-£70m for him will be excellent and that can be reinvested.

We should be terrified at the prospect of the next batch of crap 70m can get us  

[Stevosevic]

He leaves. 

 

Only 2 years remaining in the summer so if we don't sell him then, and obviously he won't sign a new deal, we won't get a good fee in the summer of 2019.

[Monk]

I think he’ll end up leaving for less than most of you think, in the region of £50m. He will leave, and it’s probably time we move on and build the new team. 

 

The squad that won the league is sadly coming to an end, I think even more apparent is that Vardy too is isolated in the new style of play. Wonder how long until there’s 0 left from title season. 

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

I wish he’d stay but think he’ll go, but only if somebody meets our asking price of course, without him in the side we’re just ordinary and we’ll not be able to replace him, he’s a star and has been a real pleasure to watch him play in our side.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Monk said:

I think he’ll end up leaving for less than most of you think, in the region of £50m. He will leave, and it’s probably time we move on and build the new team. 

 

The squad that won the league is sadly coming to an end, I think even more apparent is that Vardy too is isolated in the new style of play. Wonder how long until there’s 0 left from title season. 

By the start of next season we should have only Kasper and Vardy from the champions in the starting 11.

 

It's time to bring on the new guys - we're easily a top 8 team in the league and will be when Mahrez finds his plane.