Reports from The Times have emerged claiming that Tottenham Hotspur made a late move in the January transfer window for Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez.
The Times report that Spurs contacted the Premier League Champions late on in January regarding a potential deal that would see Mahrez move to White Hart Lane. However, the Lilywhites were unsuccessful in their approach as Leicester said that the winger was not for sale at any price.
Following yesterday’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, The Foxes will be nervously looked over their shoulders at the relegation zone, which they are currently just one point adrift of. With Claudio Ranieri’s side set to get involved in a battle at the wrong end of the table, losing Mahrez would have been a huge blow for the Champions.
Mahrez was a key player last season for Leicester, but this term has been a shadow of his usual self in the Premier League. However, the Algerian has seem to have come alive in the Champions League, where he has netted four times in four matches this season.
The 25-year-old was reportedly close to completing a move away to Arsenal over the summer transfer window, as Ranieri looked to hang onto his key players ahead of their Premier League title defence. Despite keeping Jamie Vardy alongside Mahrez, the loss of N’Golo Kante to Chelsea appears to have hurt Leicester the most.
Would Mahrez have been a good signing for Spurs?
Two things that Mahrez would have brought to the Spurs team if he had put pen to paper would have been blistering pace as well as a majestic left foot. Cutting in from the right-wing, Mahrez has caused many full-backs problems both this season and last season.
I think that Mahrez would have been a terrific signing for Spurs if they had managed to pull it off, despite his comments about the Spurs collapse at Chelsea being the funniest thing ever, his footballing ability would have made him an outstanding signing.
The squad competition at Spurs I feel would push Mahrez to the best of his ability, and once returned from injury, he would have had an interesting battle on his hands for first team minutes against Erik Lamela.
Mahrez would have been a terrific signing if Spurs had managed to get a January deal over the line, but of course as we know, nothing materialised. Will Spurs return for Mahrez in the summer if the Foxes fortunes fail to turn around?
