A source close to the Leicester playmaker told Express Sport that a move to London is favoured by his family.
He will definitely not be joining Barcelona because Mahrez’s family don’t want to be up sticks.
Arsenal would be the preferred option and there’s pressure on Mahrez to move to the Emirates.
But the Gunners’ interest has waned - they are instead began chasing Thomas Lemar - meaning Mahrez was the most likely option.
A source said: “One thing’s for sure, Riyad won’t be joining Barcelona. There’s no way he’ll move to Spain.
“There’s pressure on him to join Arsenal and it’s seen as a move that would work well."
GETTY
There is pressure on Riyad Mahrez to join Arsenal from his close circle
Leicester face the prospect of Mahrez and Demarai Gray leaving before the end of Thursday's transfer deadline.
Mahrez, a key figure in the Foxes' remarkable 2015-16 Premier League title triumph, has been allowed to leave the Algeria squad and return to Europe to "formalise his transfer to his new club", the Algerian Football Federation announced late on Wednesday.
And Express Sport understands Gray has told Leicester he wishes to move to Bournemouth after the Foxes rejected a £25million bid from the Cherries for the winger on Wednesday.
Midfielder Danny Drinkwater has also been linked with Chelsea, where he could be reunited with another Leicester Premier League winner, N'Golo Kante.
Leicester winger Mahrez has expressed a desire to leave the King Power Stadium and has been linked with a host of clubs over the summer, with Roma having already had three bids rejected for the 26-year-old, the third for £32million.
Mahrez has been with the Algeria squad preparing for their upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header with Zambia, but the Algerian Football Federation has given him permission to resolve his club future before the transfer deadline.
A statement on faf.dz read: "Leicester City's Algerian international Riyad Mahrez, who is currently with the national team in Sidi Moussa to prepare for the double confrontation against Zambia for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, was authorised by the national coach Lucas Alcaraz and the Algerian Football Federation to make an express trip to Europe to formalise on Thursday his transfer to his new club.
"The national team will fly without him on Thursday morning to Lusaka to face Zambia on Saturday."
Mahrez has played all three of Leicester's Premier League fixtures this season.
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