Surely footballers don't think as negatively as that?
Riyad Mahrez | Signed new contract at Leicester City
- Thread starter RedMachine03
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Their agents probably do!
Plus I'm not sure how sentimental most footballers are. While it's easy for us as fans to say that Mahrez should stay Leicester for another year to have a crack at the CL with them before leaving, would it be that much of a surprise if he actually didn't give much of a shit about that?
With Mahrez yes, he seems to have an inner toughness and earnestness in both his on field play and interviews that can only suggest he has genuine affection for Leicester for bringing him to his current level and is loving every minute of being there at the moment.
With regards to his agent, Mahrez is young and talented enough that a season of showcasing himself in the Champions League as the main man at Leicester has more upside than flying the nest to play a lesser role at a more traditionally prestigious club.
Summer 2017 is the smart play.
Yeah, if's and buts but the here and now would be that if they finish as champions then there is absolutely no point to leaving to double his money before entering the biggest football tournament at club level with the club that he helped massively overachieve for it. It would be quite daft really, his financial situation is secure and he isn't a two-bit scummer from a nothing league on a 10k a week contract. He's progressed up the ladder.
After they crash and burn in the CL then by all means he probably will leave.
Playing the devil's advocate but you could argue that same toughness and earnestness could mean him being unashamedly ambitious and thus wanting to play for the best and earn the best, and 'become the best footballer that I can be' (equivalent to a Miss World's "I wish for world peace"). Sort of like what Ronaldo felt like at United, even though Fergie made and gave him the opportunity i.e he still wanted 'more'.
I read nothing into interviews footballers give, they all read like something Siri would say. I can't see him turning down a big club if they come in for him this summer and saying "can this wait until next year please?" as much as the romantic in me would like to.
A part of me wishes Mahrez stayed and I believe it's possible.
If I'm not wrong, Leicester's owners have a ton of money. That with their league win can allow them to really beef up their squad wherever they seem they are lacking. I feel like they will be able to attract players with their champions league football status. Hopefully Mahrez sees that and give the champions league a proper go with Liecester.
If he does leave, he better go to United
If I'm not wrong, Leicester's owners have a ton of money. That with their league win can allow them to really beef up their squad wherever they seem they are lacking. I feel like they will be able to attract players with their champions league football status. Hopefully Mahrez sees that and give the champions league a proper go with Liecester.
If he does leave, he better go to United
I'd be surprised if Leicester dont keep him if they win the league. Surely Ranieri will try to keep that squad and Leicester will be able to pay good wages
I think he can keep most but not Mahrez. Clubs will be willing to pay £50m for him.
As much as I want him to join us - it would be so wrong in every possible way if he were to leave Leicester in the summer. If you are his age - and Leicester win the League and are about to play in the P.L - why would you want to leave ? He will be throw away his entire Leicester-legacy (and if we ever are to describe a player as a legend - it will be Mahrez at Leicester if they win the League) and he will be remembered as a player who only thought about money
If he stays one more season - Leicester drop down some places in the League, noone will have a go at him for picking a bigger club.
If he stays one more season - Leicester drop down some places in the League, noone will have a go at him for picking a bigger club.
Replying to this post and to @lysglimt...
Leicester City will do everything in their power to keep Mahrez but I can't see it happening. Even United are forced to sell players from time to time. Mahrez is young and talented enough to move up the football club food chain but I understand the point about wanting to see clubs keep their core in tact. But how often does that really happen?
Theyll make £90mil if they win the league.
http://www.totalsportek.com/football/premier-league-prize-money-table-2015/
Do you think theyd sell? Do they need to?
I suppose its down to the player. His head might get turned.
They'll still be Leicester City, even if they win the league. Marez will move on at some point. We need to worry about getting into the CL so we are even in the Marez conversation.
He's going to Barcelona
To sit on the bench? It will be suicidal for his career, he won't ever going to displace one of the MSN and he isn't defensively sound enough to play in Rakitic/Turan role for them.
Very few players turned down Barcelona
Mahrez plays in the position where Messi plays, so I doubt he goes there to be on the bench unless Barca sell someone of the MSN.
Most footballers dont think like that. He is from Algeria, was nowhere near top level football a few years ago. If Barca come calling, he is off, simple as that. The chance to play for them, with a bit of luck or injuries to others, he could play as a starter. Dream come true. Even Arda Turan didnt turn them down.
Arda Turan plays as midfielder for them, but I understand your point.
I just think that Mahrez (maybe the best player of the season) should be in a top club playing most of the games as starter. But if Barcelona want him, it would be difficult for him to reject them. Also, Barca dont have a quality player to cover the MSN.
Mahrez to Barcelona after one good season?? That´s not happening. He should stay with Leicester for one more season at least and play some CL football..
Him and Kante will be off this summer I reckon. Vardy to stay.
Mahrez has been brilliant this season, no doubt (although he's been quiet of late). For some reason, though, I'd be hesitant to spend too much money on him at this point. I could be completely wrong, but it wouldn't surprise me if he can't maintain this level of performance.
We need a right winger and Mahrez has been the best. So I would sign him unless we can sign a better player.
Which right winger would you prefer instead of Mahrez?
It's a worry how he's been shut out of games Leicester have been dominant.
That's a good question. There's not an abundance around. I don't think we're going to find a pure winger. They seem to be a dying breed. Rather, I think we're more likely to find a versatile forward who can play on the right side of a front three - just like Martial does on the left. I'd also like someone with pace. Griezmann would be great. I'm not minimizing what Mahrez has done this season, but am not convinced that he won't come back down to earth next season.
To those saying Mahrez wouldn't want to miss out on champions league with Leicester, just think back to Suarez the other season.
Phenomenal year, loved Liverpool, they loved him, and still that wasn't enough to stop him going to one of the Spanish giants.
If Mahrez gets an offer to do the same, it's an absolute no brainer.
Heard a fan on the train back from Wembley think that part was inevitable, but he also thought Vardy would go to Everton. Which would be a very weird move indeed!
Phenomenal year, loved Liverpool, they loved him, and still that wasn't enough to stop him going to one of the Spanish giants.
If Mahrez gets an offer to do the same, it's an absolute no brainer.
Heard a fan on the train back from Wembley think that part was inevitable, but he also thought Vardy would go to Everton. Which would be a very weird move indeed!
Suarez was a guaranteed starter for any club when he signed for Barca. He was the best striker in the world. Mahrez is having a great season and demonstrating great talent but in his position there is more competition so I don't think he would move to any super-club to be more than a squad/bench option.
In a year or two from now when we've sorted our standing and a few more English sides do then he'd be justified a move should he carry on the way he is. He'd get into all our "top" clubs but should play one more year for Leicester and be part of this experience the whole way.
That comparison becomes invalid as Suarez moved to the best footballing club in the world, away from a lowly (albeit currently) club.
He already wanted to leave the year before that though. Gerrard talked him out of it and they agreed that if one of the Spanish giants came calling after the season, Liverpool wouldn't stand in the way of him fulfilling his boyhood dream. That situation isn't comparable to the Mahrez one imo, though I do think he should leave Leicester fi the big boys come calling. You never know what next season will offer, it might be a once in a lifetime opportunity for him.
He was very good last season too.
I'm not disputing that what he's done (particularly this year) has been impressive. He's just been named player of the year, after all. Amazing. Nobody would have predicted it. That said, I'm just not convinced he'll be able to keep it up and perform week in, week out, particularly in Europe. As the season has progressed, and teams have started to focus on him, the goals and assists have been harder to come by. Time will tell. I wouldn't be heartbroken if we bought him by any means, but for what would be a significant fee I'd be a bit concerned.
I have similar doubts but there are very few players on the planet who don't have a dip in the season just like he has recently. How much more healthy would our line up look if instead of Mata or Lingard on the right wing we had a player of his quality. Most teams set up to double mark him and vardy so he has done incredibly well to keep going and contributing in most games. If we had him on one side and Martial on the other teams would either have to double mark them both and leave lots of space in the centre or just let them do their thing, in which case he would thrive. We would be very lucky to get such an extraordinary talent, 50 million is the point I would start to say probably too expensive. Imagine he could be gettable for us too, Madrid usually buy the shiniest player from the latest tournament so will probably spend 60 million on some player we barely talk about now straight after the euros. Barca could only offer him a back up role, PSG is a possibility I guess and then from there we probably have as good a chance as Chelsea or city.
I know that times have changed, and the market with it, but the prospect of paying 50M pounds to Leicester for Mahrez...dear oh dear! 50M pounds probably gets Griezmann. Who would you rather have?
Not even sure about that.
I think it's £57M for Griezmann's buyout.
Just making a point. It gets you close. The question being, for approximately the same money, would you want Mahrez or Griezmann?
As he gets older, maybe Messi will just replace Iniesta as the most attacking of the midfield 3, but be even a little more attacking himself.
Neymar-----Suarez---------Mahrez
------------------Messi----------------
------Rakitic-------------------------
-------------Busquets---------------
Alba-----------------------Alves------
---------Pique----Mascherano--------
Guardiola does this sort of thing all the time at Bayern with a dribbling winger on the touchline to take advantage of the need for teams to stack the middle to deal with the possession there, and Lahm (in this case Alves) tucked in to hover in that sort of right channel space (there's some tactics word for it I can't remember. Half-zones, maybe? It's always in those Spielervalung or whatever articles).
Would add a lot of balance to the team, great alternative and upgrade on Lingard but Im still worried about his mentality, you can tell that for example Harry Kane will keep his head down work hard and just keep getting better, on the other hand something in me tells me that Mahrez is a bit capricious and mentally inconsistent, can look like a world class player on one day and quite meh the other game but this season he's been great in most of the games, kinda reminds me of Nani's best season for us. But feck it send 30-35m to Leicester and see if they can refuse, more than 40mil could get us possibly better prospects and Griezzman looks a bit more proven to me and worthy extra 10-20m quid. Mahrez could be a nice cheap alternative if we are not able to get our top targets..
City need a RW to replace the preposterous Jesus Navas and Guardiola likes wide dribblers. Seems exceedingly plausible.
It is a good question but tbh the better one is "who can be signed for £50m ?".
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