Pep Guardiola vs Riyad Mahrez
The Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel has an update on Friday on what’s next for Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez.
Mahrez has kept his distance from Leicester every since the Foxes put a stop to a January move to Man City.
According to reports, Man City tried to sign the Algerian on the final day of the transfer window.
The Sky Blues were hoping to sign Mahrez in a deal worth 60 million pounds. Leicester baulked at that proposal, demanding closer to 90 million pounds fo their north African star.
Accordingly, no deal was reached, Mahrez has now downed tools, while Man City, according to Samuel, are now ready to look elsewhere.
The big update in the Mail is that Pep Guardiola is unhappy with how Riyad Mahrez has conducted his affairs since the deal collapsed.
Readers are lead to believe that Mahrez has little chance to join Man City in the future:
The word from Manchester is that Pep Guardiola is going cold on Mahrez having witnessed how he has reacted to not getting his way on transfer deadline day.
Mahrez’s absence from the team sheet will leave another impression: that of a high maintenance, selfish individual who signed a contract, wants to end that contract prematurely and, finding he cannot, abandons his club and his team-mates.
Unsurprisingly, Guardiola is wondering whether such a character is worth the hassle, or upwards of £60 million.
Manchester City vs Leicester City
As the gods would have it, Man City face Leicester on Saturday night in the Premier League.
Mahrez will play no part in the game as his continues to steer clear of the King Power Stadium.
Shinji Okazaki will also be missing for Leicester with a knee problem, while Wes Morgan is out with a hamstring issue.
Man City ‘sign’ Fred thanks to Arsenal old-boy Gilberto Silva.