Riyad Mahrez

[foxedup]

There has to be an element of goodwill towards Mahrez on Leicester’s behalf though surely? He cost £350k and won you the Premier League – pretty much the greatest triumph in British football history. And yet you’re asking £90 million for him, a figure which nobody is ever going to pay.

He's a paid employee who has been financially rewarded hugely for his part in the triumph. What he cost means nothing. If Barca bid £100m for KDB, do you say "well we've doubled our money and he won us the league", or do you say "screw off mate he's worth 5 times that"?

Personally, I don't believe the £90m thing at all. When you sell your house you put it on the market at X percentage more than it's true worth because you know someone will try and drag you down. In the end you meet in the middle. You bid £50, we say £90 and normally most people meet in the middle. Only my opinion, but I honestly think the deal would have been done for around the £75m mark. It was said at the time this end, that the VVD purchase set a precedent, and I certainly don't think it's unreasonable for a club to expect the same sort of money for a former player of the year, who has the same goals as Hazard, Jesus, Min, DDB, Lacazette and 5th in the assists charts behind 3 of your players and Pogba. In what has mostly been a defensive team, playing off scraps.

 

[foxedup]

A good piece generally here Foxedup, but I don't think a 55m bid was low balling and don't forget we've had it the other way around for the last few years where we've been fleeced on a number of our purchases. I think the stand that both clubs took in this instance is commendable.

Out of interest, what do you think will happen in the summer?

It's rumoured that the opening bid was £45m wasn't it (the story changes every 5 minutes), not a lowball offer like some of the crap we've had in the past. But when the day before you pay £57m for a defender, I think it's fair to say Leicester are going to think you're trying to take the piss a little. If you don't value him as high, that's entirely your clubs decision. But it was never going to get any deal this end.

In the summer, he'll probably go for £45m. Really depends on his attitude when he comes back, Vardy is going to enjoy ripping the shit out of him as they all did after his little airport stunt in the summer. If he comes back and plays well and people do the bidding early then perhaps we will get more towards what we want. But I think it's getting to the point that it's best for all concerned if he goes. We've made it clear we can't be bullied now, so lets do a reasonable deal and get rid.

 

[EastStand202]

We won't go back in summer.

Our game against them next weekend just got much tougher.

Reports last night that city will be back in for him in the summer.

Pep stated city also tried for Mahrez the summer just gone, but failed. I'm more gutted about not Landing Mahrez then not getting Sanchez

 

[TCIB]

He hasn't been denied a move, nobody has bid current market value. It's as simple as that, we're not here to be a charity case for Man City or for Mahrez. If Roma had bid £45 / £50m in the summer, he'd have gone. As it was they tried to buy him with a £17m starting bid. They never even once offered us close to what they got for Salah. The year before nobody even bid for him. If you'd have bid somewhere close to £75m, you'd have most probably got him. You didn't, so he stays.

We might never get £50m for the bloke but there is more to this than money. It's about not being bullied by players, if we accept what we think is bellow market value just because a player throws a strop, every other player then knows how they get their move, other clubs know they don't have to ever meet our valuation and you get known as a soft touch.

We got stung before being a soft touch, so this is about a club making a stand and saying no more. If that costs us £20m on a Mahrez deal, then so be it. The potential benefits will never be seen, but people can't deny that that money could be made back on future deals when people know you either pay, or get lost. Levy at Spurs has that reputation, people know you pay through the nose when dealing with him and he gets good money for his players.

I have sympathy for Mahrez, it would have been a fantastic move to a great club. But, what's good for us comes first and I'm sick to death of clubs trying to low ball us. £15m bids for Kante, £17m bids for Mahrez an Drinkwater. All from clubs not wanting to pay and trying to get players to do the dirty on us.

Transfermarkt has him at 27m gbp. It is not the transfer bible but it is pretty representative. I do not think our offer could be considered a low ball by any stretch. For perspective they have Laporte valued at 25m euro.

If you get a bidding war going in summer though who knows what you will get.

 

[Bluemanc100]

I think it was more of an issue of not having a replacement. They had 1 or 2 days to find an adequate replacement at a reasonable price, which is not enough time imo. We'll probably get him in the summer anyway.

They had weeks.... we were in talks re Mahrez in December if you believe the rumours

 

[richards30]

He hasn't been denied a move, nobody has bid current market value. It's as simple as that, we're not here to be a charity case for Man City or for Mahrez. If Roma had bid £45 / £50m in the summer, he'd have gone. As it was they tried to buy him with a £17m starting bid. They never even once offered us close to what they got for Salah. The year before nobody even bid for him. If you'd have bid somewhere close to £75m, you'd have most probably got him. You didn't, so he stays.

We might never get £50m for the bloke but there is more to this than money. It's about not being bullied by players, if we accept what we think is bellow market value just because a player throws a strop, every other player then knows how they get their move, other clubs know they don't have to ever meet our valuation and you get known as a soft touch.

We got stung before being a soft touch, so this is about a club making a stand and saying no more. If that costs us £20m on a Mahrez deal, then so be it. The potential benefits will never be seen, but people can't deny that that money could be made back on future deals when people know you either pay, or get lost. Levy at Spurs has that reputation, people know you pay through the nose when dealing with him and he gets good money for his players.

I have sympathy for Mahrez, it would have been a fantastic move to a great club. But, what's good for us comes first and I'm sick to death of clubs trying to low ball us. £15m bids for Kante, £17m bids for Mahrez an Drinkwater. All from clubs not wanting to pay and trying to get players to do the dirty on us.

low ball you???? £60m plus?!??!! he will make you wish you sold him

 

[Andrew___K]

It's rumoured that the opening bid was £45m wasn't it (the story changes every 5 minutes), not a lowball offer like some of the crap we've had in the past. But when the day before you pay £57m for a defender, I think it's fair to say Leicester are going to think you're trying to take the piss a little. If you don't value him as high, that's entirely your clubs decision. But it was never going to get any deal this end.

In the summer, he'll probably go for £45m. Really depends on his attitude when he comes back, Vardy is going to enjoy ripping the shit out of him as they all did after his little airport stunt in the summer. If he comes back and plays well and people do the bidding early then perhaps we will get more towards what we want. But I think it's getting to the point that it's best for all concerned if he goes. We've made it clear we can't be bullied now, so lets do a reasonable deal and get rid.

Sorry, I don't get the logic. Why is £45m offer from City in Jan is qualified as 'bullying', but you're ok with selling him next summer for the exact same price? Because City's offer was made in the last days of the window, when it's difficult to find the replacement?

 

[foxedup]

Sorry, I don't get the logic. Why is £45m offer from City in Jan is qualified as 'bullying', but you're ok with selling him next summer for the exact same price? Because City's offer was made in the last days of the window, when it's difficult to find the replacement?

Not getting a replacement is part of it, the timing was rubbish for us. But it's about letting people know you go on OUR terms, not Man City's, not the players.

I'm only saying £45m in case he sulks and performs shit for the rest of the season. The decision to make a stand could cost us money on this deal, I'm sure the club are away of that. But, If he continues to play well, then I expect no less than what I think the club would have realistically accepted, which was £75m.

 

[foxedup]

low ball you???? £60m plus?!??!! he will make you wish you sold him

The reports suggest you never even offer £60m cash.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

The case appears to and various possible deals be that no "bid" as such was ever put in. Discussions were held and various possible deals broached but it became clear that City were not prepared to spend more than £60 million whereas Leicester's valuation was considerably higher. Consequently City terminated the discussions late yesterday afternoon. Mahrez was very keen on the move (for obvious reasons from our point of view) and has grievances against Leicester going back to the end of their title winning season: other key players have been allowed to move but not him and this must seem like asset stripping to him. Whether his attitude of non-cooperation will last remains to be seen, but if Leicester stick to their valuation a move anywhere seems unlikely, especially if UEFA do introduce "FFP 2.0".