Riyad Mahrez
is set to reject Leicester’s offer of a new contract after the Algeria forward decided he wants to pursue a new challenge away from the Premier League champions.
Mahrez, who joined Leicester in 2014 from the French side Le Havre for just £375,000 (€450,000), has attracted widespread attention from clubs in England and overseas after his performances in their title-winning season.
The PFA Player of the Year still has three years to run of the contract he signed last August, in a deal which is believed to be worth £35,000 (€41,800) a week. However, having held talks with Leicester over a new deal believed to be in the region of £80,000 (€95,000) a week, Mahrez is understood to be unwilling to extend his stay at the King Power and has instructed his representatives to find him a new club this summer.
The news will come as a blow to Claudio Ranieri's side, with France midfielder Ngolo Kante set to join Chelsea after a fee was agreed yesterday. The Italian had been optimistic about Mahrez's future 24 hours earlier saying he was confident the midfielder would stay at Leicester.
“He remains with us. He’s not the kind of man who will say: ‘Coach I want to leave.’ He is happy here,” said Ranieri at the club’s training camp in Austria.
French newspaper France Football said Mahrez has a desire to join a big European club, with Barcelona among those to have been linked with him in the past. In May, Mahrez's agent told the Guardian that there was a possibility his client could leave the club. Guardian Service
