There are plenty of Arsenal FC transfer rumors circulating in the Twitterverse, blogosphere, cyberspace and media world today, but the biggest centers around Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez. Gunners Manager Arsene Wenger said, just three weeks ago ,that the team will spend “big money” on the right player.
He added, of course that this would only happen with the right player. We know it won’t be Gonzalo Higuain, or Jamie Vardy, for that matter.
Apparently, it won’t be Riyad Mahrez either.
Chelsea won’t be landing him either.
Leicester City Manager Claudio Ranieri told Sky Sports News on Wednesday: “Kante had a clause and Chelsea paid it, but Riyad does not have the clause and he will stay with us.”
Mahrez doesn’t have a new contract extension in place, but it appears he’ll still likely be staying put.
“I’m confident, of course,” Ranieri said on July 24th when asked if he believed the reigning PFA Player of the Year would stay.
“We know very well there are other teams who must win the Premier League. We just have to defend it.”
“I changed him at last because I said ‘okay, his job is done, it’s better to avoid injury.’
“I’m very happy, we have a very good dressing room. The players who came in are very good.”
Ranieri made the comments at an International Champions Cup press conference. Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal in the Foxes win over Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side (6-5 on penalties).
For the Gunners, it looks like they’ll have to look to someone other than the Algerian winger to spend their money on. As for Chelsea, it appears that they have made their big buys of this transfer window already.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.