Riyad Mahrez’ early season form has been outstanding, but with the transfer window still open, already Leicester City are having to make reassurances to their fans over the future of their Algerian star.
Mahrez has played a vital part in Leicester’s seven recorded points to date, having scored four goals in their three games to lead the Golden Boot race in its early stages.
It is not only goals, however, that the 24-year-old has provided. He has created eight chances and has an impressive take-on success rate of 71.43%. When the ball is at Mahrez’ feet, special things have happened with great regularity. In what was largely a dour match against Tottenham Hotspur, he was clearly the best player on the pitch, cutting inside defender Jan Vertonghen, before curling a strike into the top left of the net, within a minute of the Foxes going behind.
Mahrez has already equaled his total goal tally from last season, and manager Claudio Ranieri believes that the Algerian can continue to improve.
“His passing is good, his shooting is good and his ideas are good – that is important for all the team,” the Leicester boss said.
“But I am an Italian manager and I am interested also in how he defends, and he is getting better.
“He will improve and at the end he could be a very, very complete player.”
It is this combination of red-hot form and potential that has already led to Ranieri having to address speculation over the possibility that Leicester City are about to sell one of their biggest assets. Whether or not there are legitimate suitors, the questions have already started.
“We don’t sell him so there is no price,” Ranieri declared.
“We won’t sell him so it’s much better if they (other clubs) don’t ask”.
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It is the sad reality of the football landscape, the air of inevitability that players performing at smaller clubs will soon move on. Despite partisan views from fans and their obvious desire to keep their best players, one can hardly begrudge a possible star in the making for moving on to greater success (and dare it be said, to earn much more money).
Mahrez joined the Foxes in 2014 from Ligue 2 side Le Havre, since signing a contract extension until 2019. He will, when the day inevitably comes, provide a significant return on investment for the East Midlands club, supplying plenty of funds to find a ‘replacement’. Being so early in the season, and experiencing such impressive form, it would be a deal that the club is not currently entertaining and Ranieri must be taken on his word. Furthermore, the size of the cheque rarely provides much solace to a fan base that has a new idol.
While no clubs have been linked to the 24-year-old winger in any meaningful media outlet, it is a frustratingly valid question to be asked. When somebody performs so well, even for a short period in the Premier League (and is particularly true for young players), they are chased ferociously. It is a story that can soon snowball, and once a player’s head is turned the club can rarely retains the services of their prized asset.
Transfer stories, particularly those involving big clubs and in-form players, sell papers and provide hits online. As a result, these questions will continue to be asked as long as there is a genuine interest.
There is a concern that, despite the relative harmlessness of what is currently a non-story, it could provide a distraction for a player and club that are looking to mount a serious challenge toward a top-half table spot this calendar year.
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West Bromwich Albion’s manager Tony Pulis has already lamented the current length of the transfer window as he fights off interest from Tottenham over Saido Berahino. Ranieri and managers in a similar position in the league would no doubt hold a similar opinion, as time still remains for bigger clubs to raid their best talent.
Following a poor defensive performance from Chelsea against West Brom, a story predictably followed on an improved bid from Chelsea for young Everton star John Stones. If the likes of the champions want a player, they rarely miss out and it is that expectation that fuels media questioning, such as in Mahrez’s case.
No doubt Leicester will be ecstatic over the Algerian’s form, and in many ways, it is a better sign that their player is being touted for moves elsewhere, rather than not being mentioned at all. But for the Foxes, and other clubs withstanding the lure of the sport’s heavyweights, the end of the window cannot come soon enough, at which point the focus will be purely on football.
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