adminLEICESTER. — Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri says reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez wants to remain with the English Premier League soccer champions.
The 25-year-old Algeria international has been with Leicester since 2014 and enjoyed a superb 2015-16 campaign, scoring 17 times for the title-winning Foxes.
Several of Leicester’s key performers were subsequently linked with moves away from the club and, despite England forward Jamie Vardy deciding to stay rather than join Arsenal, France midfielder N’Golo Kante was sold to Chelsea.
However, Ranieri is not expecting Mahrez to be heading away from the club and believes Leicester’s squad is now settled ahead of their title defence.
Speaking after Tuesday’s 2-1 friendly win at Oxford, Ranieri said: “I think everybody here is happy. It’s finished, the market has finished.”
Asked specifically if he had spoken to Mahrez, Ranieri said : “Yes, he wants to stay.”
Mahrez has three years left on his current contract and may be offered a new deal, while Vardy and captain Wes Morgan have already agreed new contracts this summer.
Leicester eased their way back into action with victory at the Kassam Stadium with Mahrez playing the opening 45 minutes before wholesale changes were made.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder scored 17 goals in 37 appearances as the Foxes stormed to the Premier League title last campaign and was named PFA Player of the Year. Reports from France earlier this week suggested Mahrez was on the hunt for a new club ahead of the 2016/17 season but Leicester boss Ranieri appears to have put an end to the speculation.
It’s understood both Arsenal and Chelsea were interested in a potential move for the Algeria international but they will now have to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements. — Sky Sports.
Wenslus Murape
Online Reporter