Algeria have confirmed that Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez has left the training camp in order to finalise a move to a fresh club. The attacker is of interest to both Barcelona and Arsenal as the transfer window approaches its end.
”Mahrez [is] allowed to go formalise his transfer to a new club.” a tweet from the Algerian Football Federation read h/t The Express.
The 26-year-old expressed his intention to leave the Foxes back in May, but he has since failed to pursue a fresh club with AS Roma being the closest to his services.
According to Spanish outlet AS, Barcelona are leading the pursuit of the highly-rated attacker who is seen as an alternative to Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.
The La Liga transfer window only concludes 24 hours after the deadline for English clubs, and Ernesto Valverde’s side will have the advantage over their Premier League rivals.
Barcelona are prepared to pay a fee of around £46m to land the former Le Havre graduate, but they could potentially face competition from Arsenal, who are looking at a late raid for the 2016/17 PFA Player of the Year.
Arsene Wenger’s side are currently on the cusp of losing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to rivals Liverpool while Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester City could still be on despite an initial £50m rebuffed by the club’s hierarchy.
Arsenal have brought in just two players in Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette this summer, but the deadline-day could be frantic with the Gunners said to be eyeing potential recruits in the forward department.
