Riyad Mahrez released from Algerian team HQ to ‘formalise his transfer’ to new club as Leicester departure looks imminent
RIYAD MAHREZ has been allowed to leave the headquarters of the Algerian football team to "formalise his transfer" away from Leicester City.
It seems the winger, 26, will be allowed to leave the King Power Stadium with Manchester United, Barcelona and Roma among the favourites to land him - but reports suggest Arsenal are NOT in contention despite being heavily linked with him this summer.
The 2016 Premier League winner, PFA Player of the Year and African Footballer of the Year will leave the club he helped win an unlikely league title.
But he went off the boil last season as the Foxes put in a limp defence of their Prem crown and saw hero boss Claudio Ranieri controversially sacked.
Leicester rejected a £32million bid from Roma earlier this summer for Mahrez, but Craig Shakespeare has acknowledged the French-born Algerian wanted to leave the club.
He even had conversations with owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha over leaving, and has been told he can for the right price.
A tweet from the Algerian FA translated as: "@Mahrez22 allowed to go formalise his transfer to a new club #LesVerts #TeamDZ."
And with a host of clubs interested, Mahrez looks finally set to get his dream move away from the King Power.
Algeria are due to play away in Zambia on Saturday but a fan released a picture this morning supposedly showing him with Mahrez at an airport in Paris.
Sky reported this morning that Leicester have received no fresh bids for the attacking star, with the last offer being from Roma.
Arsenal would be in need of a winger with Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set to leave the Emirates, but they cannot offer Champions League football this season.
But BBC'S David Ornstein has suggested they are not looking to sign Mahrez.
Roma can, however, and their new director of football Monchi is one of the world's highest-regarded spotters of value in the transfer market.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United have also been interested in adding the winger to their ranks to bolster their attacking line.
Jose Mourinho has long been an admirer, but had Inter Milan's Ivan Perisic top of his list - with the Serie A giants refusing to budge on a high valuation.
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