Furious Riyad Mahrez slams Leicester for wrecking his dream move to Manchester City
Premier League leaders pulled out of a deal for the winger after Foxes demanded demanded an eye-watering £95million plus a player
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FURIOUS Riyad Mahrez accused Leicester of wrecking his dream Manchester City move.
Quadruple-chasing City pulled out of the deal after refusing to meet the Foxes’ staggering transfer demands of £95million PLUS a player.
And Mahrez is said to be “very depressed” that Leicester’s Thai owners snubbed City’s proposal of a record £65m fee and an unnamed player.
The Algerian winger is thought to have told a close friend he “doesn’t understand why Leicester have behaved the way they have” — especially as they had allowed fellow title winners N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater to join Chelsea.
His close friend told Sky Sports: “Riyad is very depressed over the events of the last two days.
“This is the fourth transfer window in which Leicester have said they will not allow him to leave.
“He feels very strongly that he has done everything in his power to help the club.
“He played a huge part in his first season, he then helped to make history by winning the Premier League title and he has done what the chairman has asked of him, which was to secure the club’s Premier League safety.
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“They let Kante go, Drinkwater go — he could have been the record sale in the history of the club.
“By my calculation Leicester could have made £59.8m profit on him. He has been told by former team-mates to get out of Leicester.
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“He has given his all this season so he could leave in this window.
“Joining Manchester City would be a dream for him — playing for Pep Guardiola is something he is still desperate to do.
“He is very down about the way he has been treated by a club he has served so well.”
Mahrez, 26, who has 2-and-a-half years remaining on his £100,000-a-week contract, had handed in a transfer request to try to force through a move.
The former PFA Player of the Year missed training on Tuesday and did not join up with his Leicester team-mates as they travelled to Merseyside for last night’s game against Everton.
The Foxes lost that clash 2-1 at Goodison Park.
City were prepared to break their club record fee to land him but were not willing to go above £60m for a player who cost the Foxes just £400,000 in 2014.
Leicester also put the block on Mahrez when he tried to force a move in the summer.
And the Foxes’ refusal to do business is a blow to City boss Guardiola, who had abandoned a swoop for Alexis Sanchez earlier in the window.
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