Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez appears on Chelsea shopping list
The Algerian will have one year remaining on his contract when the 2021/22 season comes to a close.
Riyad Mahrez could be one of the big names out of the doors this summer at the Etihad Stadium as Man City prepare for the arrival of Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian has reportedly agreed to initial terms to link up with City, with Pep Guardiola finally looking set to land his dream No.9 after the pursuit of Harry Kane came to no avail last summer.
A big-money move for the Borussia Dortmund talisman will most likely cause a domino effect. A few of the players in what is a strong batch of serial winners vying to win the Champions League and Premier League this term could be forced to look elsewhere, and this is where Mahrez could come into the equation.
Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid interest
Thomas Tuchel’s side are reported to be one of the clubs following’ Mahrez’s precarious situation in East Manchester as his contract ticks down to the dreaded one year mark. With no new deal currently in sight, the summer could be one of the last opportunities for the reigning Premier League Champions to cash in on a player who has a current market value of £36million as per transfermarkt.
French Outlet Footmercato and L’Equipe have reported that Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all interested in poaching a player that has had a makeshift role in Pep Guardiola’s side. The report goes on to add that the Parisians, who are rumoured to be in the process of sacking Mauricio Pochettino, view Mahrez as Angel Di Maria’s natural heir whilst Florentino Perez views him as a potential Eden Hazard replacement.
Could one of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech or Christian Pulisic make way for the arrival of the Premier League-winning winger?
Chelsea may already have the advantage over others in this transfer race with what Mahrez has said in the past. Back when Antonio Conte’s side clinched the title back in 2017 during that famous night at the Hawthorns, the current Man City star was heard speaking to former Leicester City teammate Islam Slimani and their conversation back at the time was picked up by French broadcasters – via the Daily Mail.
Slimani said to Mahrez: “Hey, Chelsea are champions!” The winger replied: “They’re an incredible club. A real club.”
