Should Moussa Sissoko’s Tottenham spell leave Spurs fans wary of reported £30m pursuit of Riyad Mahrez

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly one of the clubs interested in signing Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez.

Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez

When Tottenham fans read in the Telegraph recently that they were one of the clubs interested in signing Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez this summer, they may have been forgiven for getting excited due to his form during the Foxes’ stunning title-winning campaign last year.

There is no question that the Algerian has the potential to be a tremendous signing for Spurs if they decided to pursue a move – the Telegraph reports that the 26-year-old is expecting to leave the King Power Stadium this summer – but the reported fee involved in a potential deal should perhaps tempt Daniel Levy to give the prospect of signing Mahrez plenty of thought.

According to the Telegraph, Leicester will want more than £30 million for their talisman. So perhaps the memory of the last £30 million deal that Spurs did should force them to take a cautious approach.

Moussa Sissoko moved to White Hart Lane from Newcastle for the eight-figure fee last summer (via BBC Sport), and it is fair to say that he has done little to justify Spurs’ decision to spend such an amount with no goals and just two assists coming in the Premier League.

Moussa Sissoko has endured a difficult first year with Spurs

Interestingly, despite Mahrez inspiring Leicester to the title last year, he has been directly involved in just one more Premier League goal than Sissoko was during his final season with Newcastle, with six goals and three assists coming in what has been a difficult campaign for the champions.

His form in the Champions League has undoubtedly been a lot more impressive, and, of course, his performance during Leicester’s title-winning season is significantly better than anything Sissoko has done during his time in England.

But given that Sissoko’s move has worked out so poorly for Tottenham, and Leicester are now demanding a fee in excess of the £30 million that the Frenchman cost for a player who has endured an inconsistent season, it may be wise for the Spurs hierarchy to really take their time and consider whether joining Mauricio Pochettino’s men will help bring the best out of Mahrez once again.