Manchester City may have broken records on their way to the Premier League title last season but Pep Guardiola does not seem totally convinced with the squad at his disposal. He is still looking to add quality to his first team and has been linked with some of the most exciting stars in the game.
One such player, they have managed to sign is Riyad Mahrez.
The Algerian winger first moved to England with Leicester City from Le Havre, a club in the French lower tiers, back in 2014. In just his first season at the club, he helped the Foxes to a promotion, announcing himself to the English Premier League.
He had a decent debut campaign in the English top flight but in his second season at the King Power, Mahrez acted as a catalyst to what will forever remain one of the fairytale stories in the country. Leicester City lifted the Premier League title for the first time in their history and Mahrez’s 17 goals and 11 assists were crucial in that feat.
His performances that season saw him named as the PFA Player of the Year and though he has failed to hit such heights again, he stands as one of the most consistent performers for the Foxes. He was close to joining City even in January, but Leicester were not ready to let him go, even after the winger submitted a transfer request.
However, Guardiola’s side have landed Mahrez this summer, in a deal that will initially cost them £60m. He signed a five-year contract and could end up costing Manchester City close to £75m with add-ons. He will wear the no.26 shirt by the biggest question for the fans is if he has a place in the first team.
Mahrez is a natural winger and is not too effective in a midfield role. Pep used a 4-3-3 system and is not expected to shift from it, leaving just two spots in the wings for Mahrez. However, City already have two of the most exciting wingers in the league in Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling both being pushed for a place in the starting XI by Bernardo Silva.
This is too much of quality for Mahrez to walk into the first team, so it will be interesting to see how Pep uses the Algerian in the upcoming campaign.
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The Spaniard may also see Raheem Sterling play a more central role, making Mahrez a regular in the starting XI. At the moment, it is hard to see so many stars fit into a team at the Etihad so where do you think Mahrez fits in, in this squad?
