Why Tottenham Hotspur Should Avoid Signing Riyad Mahrez This Summer
Mauricio Pochettino does not seem too fazed by the way teams around him in the Premier League are spending big on their transfer targets. In a recent interview, he sounded coy about the strength of his squad and revealed that he is only looking to make a couple of first team signings this summer, to help them improve next season.
One of those will surely be an attacker as Spurs have constantly been linked with the likes of Suso and Ross Barkley. But one player they are now targeting is Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez.
The Algerian winger was the Player of the Year in the Premier League for the title-winning campaign at the King Power a season ago. But he failed to replicate that form last season, only helping Leicester finish 12th in the table.
He was a transfer target for many clubs last summer but he decided to stay back at the King Power for another season. The Foxes are now ready to offload him but are demanding £50m for his services. The Standard claims that Spurs are willing to recruit the winger but only if Leicester reduce their valuation. So, should Pochettino spend on Mahrez?
Also a transfer target for AS Roma and Arsenal, Mahrez is an exciting winger with excellent dribbling skills and even better finishing. The pressure of being the creator-in-chief last season got to him, and wore him down. But he showed his quality at times, which will surely be of help for Tottenham next season.
However, he fell from scoring 17 goals in the 2015-16 season to scoring just 6 last season, failing to show any kind of consistency in the league or in Europe. He has experience in the Premier League and could be a decent acquisition for most clubs in England but Spurs are in a position where they will have to aim higher.
Mahrez may yet turn into a goal scoring star in the next few years at another club but Pochettino needs an established international who can take the team forward next season and add more impetus. Mahrez is just not the man.
At just 26, he is still entering his prime and the Argentine manager might not like the thought of snubbing the chance to sign him. But at £50m, he can surely find a better player than the Algerian attacker.
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