Riyad Mahrez dazzled against West Bromwich Albion in Leicester City’s 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and showcased what he is capable of. During the January transfer window, the Foxes managed to refrain themselves from falling into the temptation of selling Mahrez, but there is no doubt whatsoever that it would be hard to hold onto him in the summer.
As per one of the latest reports by The Sun, Leicester City have vouched for Burnley’s winger, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, as Mahrez’s replacement. Gudmundsson has been really impressive for the Clarets in the Premier League this season and has started every game since October. In 29 league outings, he has scored 2 goals and has also notched up 6 assists and no wonder why he has fallen on Leicester City’s radar.
The £20million rated Iceland international is also a subject of interest for Newcastle United and Southampton, which implies that it would not be easy for Leicester City to prise him out of Turf Moor. While the Magpies’ manager, Rafael Benitez, is perceived to be a massive fan of the former Charlton Athletic man, the Saints are also believed to be his long-time admirer. Thus, there is no dearth of his admirers at the moment with his contract with his current club is set to expire at the end of next season.
However, Burnley have the option to trigger a one-year extension. Sean Dyche would be reluctant to let one of his key players and is likely to reward Gudmundsson a new deal. Burnley are currently placed at the 7th spot in the Premier League table with 43 points to their name from 30 games Nonetheless, Claude Puel should leave no stone unturned to make him sign on the dotted line.
Gudmundsson provides a lot of values to his side from the wings and is someone who has shown a lot of calibre in manoeuvring shrewd crosses, creating chances for his teammates and has dominated in the set-pieces. Besides, he is good in the air, makes immense defensive contributions and is good at testing opposition’s goalkeepers from long ranges as well as from close quarters.
Having said that, one of the areas he needs to work on is to bring some more precision in his passes. Besides, he also needs to produce more in terms of his outputs in the final third. He would be more than a decent asset for Puel but he certainly has areas to work on in order to prosper further in his career.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
