Riyad Mahrez transfer not dead for Manchester City

Pep Guardiola has hinted that Manchester City will make another move to sign Riyad Mahrez in the summer.

Guardiola, with Aymeric Laporte already in the bag, tried to bring the Algeria winger to The Etihad on deadline day, but saw they approaches rebuffed.

City put together a £60million package, including a player in exchange, but Leicester were reportedly looking for a £90million deal and City pulled the plug, despite trying to sign the player six months previous in the summer.

Even with Leroy Sane missing for six weeks, City decided they would not be held to ransom by Leicester, but he did suggest they may make another bid to land him this summer.

Guardiola said: “He’s a Leicester player. Everybody knows we were trying but we cannot afford, in this moment, this amount of what they are asking. I understand perfectly.

“We tried to do it in the summertime, we tried to do it now, but like summer, they locked the door and we can go to the summer and holidays.

“It was not possible. With [Aymeric] Laporte yes, with the other one no.

“We are going to see what happens in the summer.”

Last night Sky Sports claimed they spoke to a close friend of the Leicester winger, who stated: “Riyad is very depressed this evening over the events of the last two days. He doesn’t understand why Leicester have behaved in the way they have.

“This is the fourth transfer window in which Leicester have said they will allow him to leave.”

Mahrez, who cost the Foxes just £450,000 from Le Harve in 2014, won the PFA Player of the Year en route to Leicester’s amazing title win in 2015/16.

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