Shaka Hislop has suggested that Tottenham shouldn’t return with a new move for Riyad Mahrez.
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez scores from a penalty
Pundit Shaka Hislop has told ESPN that he doesn’t think Tottenham Hotspur should move for Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez amid rumours of possible interest.
Mahrez, 26, was one of the key players in Leicester’s historic run to the Premier League title last season, as hit a stunning 17 goals and 11 assists.
The Algerian winger snubbed interest over the summer in order to stay with Leicester, but like his team-mates at the King Power Stadium, he’s found this season much harder.
Mahrez has notched just three goals and two assists in the Premier League this season, and has turned in some disappointing performances as Claudio Ranieri’s men hover precariously above the relegation zone less than a year after being crowned Premier League champions.
That hasn’t stopped interest in Mahrez though. The Times recently reported that Tottenham Hotspur submitted a January enquiry in the hope of signing Mahrez, but were rebuffed by the Foxes.
Some have been left wondering whether Mauricio Pochettino’s men will return with a new bid in the summer, especially if Leicester suffer relegation to the Championship, but one pundit has urged them not to.
Shaka Hislop has told ESPN that he thinks Mahrez is too similar to players that Pochettino already has at his disposal, and asked major questions about which Mahrez Spurs would be getting.
Hislop noted that whilst Mahrez was excellent last season, he’s struggled this term, and with Leicester set to demand big money either way, he’s just not worth the money for Tottenham.
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez
“It feels like too much of the same thing for Spurs,” said Hislop. “Spurs have so many similar players to Riyad Mahrez, and then which Riyad Mahrez are you getting? Is it the one from this 2016/2017 season, or is it the one from last season, where he was undoubtedly the best player in the league.
“I’m not so sure you can take that gamble right now at what that cost may be. Mahrez signed a new contract with Leicester after they won the title, which means Spurs would have to splash quite a bit of cash. I’m not sure that 2016/2017 Mahrez is worth that bit of cash,” he added.
Tottenham do have a number of ball-playing attacking players who love to cut inside, whether it’s Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela or Son Heung-min, and Mahrez is much of the same, even though he is an upgrade on Lamela and Son when at his best – but Pochettino may be better off going for a direct winger with blistering pace, such as Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha or Galatasaray’s Bruma.
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