Barcelona eye £40m bid for Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez
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Leicester City performed a minor miracle last summer to keep hold of Riyad Mahrez, but the Foxes seem unlikely to do so again this time around.
The weekend papers – including the Telegraph – claim Barcelona have made the Algerian winger a primary target.
The Catalan giants are preparing for a summer of change, with manager Luis Enrique set to depart at the end of the campaign.
But Leicester won’t allow their star man to leave for anything under £40m.
Mahrez hasn’t hit the heights of last season’s sensational 18-goal effort, but nine strikes and six assists is still a fine return.
The 26-year-old has shone on the continent this year, netting four Champions League goals and two assists from just seven appearances.
Valued at £25m by transfermarkt.co.uk, Mahrez only signed a new deal with the Foxes last August.
The new agreement runs through until 2020, putting Leicester in a strong position when it comes to any bids.
Our traders have priced up Barca as 3/1 favourites in the race for Mahrez, ahead of Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United, with each at 8/1.
Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are deemed 10/1 shots, with Juventus the outsiders at 12s.
Should the Algerian international depart the east Midlands outfit this summer, Leicester are sure to land a significant windfall.
In what has already proven to be one of the Premier League’s greatest purchases, the reigning champions snapped up Mahrez for just £400k from French club Le Havre in January 2014.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
