Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could lodge a potential attempt to sign Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez this summer after the club failed with an approach last year.
The long-standing manager is due to sign a new two-year deal with the Gunners today before pushing for new recruits in the transfer market.
Among those on his radar, Mahrez has been identified as the prime option with a £40m sum likely to be sufficient to lure him from Leicester, The Sun claims.
Mahrez has recently released a statement regarding his decision to ‘move on’ and the Gunners are in a straight fight with AS Monaco in order to secure his services in the summer.
Star pairing Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have been reluctant to extend their terms despite approaching the final year of their contracts, and there is a fear that the duo could switch clubs in July.
Sanchez, who was the Gunners’ top scorer with 30 goals, is keen to push through a move to Bayern Munich following the north London club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1997.
As per The Times, the Chilean will snub any impending interest from Manchester City and Chelsea in order to pursue a fresh challenge in the Bundesliga next term.
Meanwhile, World Cup winner Mesut Ozil also feels that the club have reached their maximum level, and their prospects of competing for the title look bleak ahead of the new campaign.
With the future of both Ozil and Sanchez uncertain, Wenger appears to have set his sights on signing Mahrez, who endured a mixed season last term following a record-breaking one in the previous where he guided the Foxes to a historic league triumph.
