Riyad Mahrez

[aguero93:20]

For me this is the real benefit of this signing.

Imagine we are drawing with 20 to go.

Weve one sub left.

Who do you bring on, yaya, nmecha or mahrez?

Also means our wing options can be out and out pace sane and sterling. Or tricky, bernardo and mahrez. Or a combo.

Hard to put a plan in place for that

Definitely not Yaya, a point is better than a forfeit and points deduction (or expulsion from a knockout comp) for fielding an ineligible player.

 

[SPIDERBOY]

Breaking our transfer record at £70m is a hell of a lot of money to pay for a player that won't weaken the team.

I don't think £70m is that bad considering what some players have gone for.
If we are willing to pay it,then the powers that be clearly value him at that.
Didn't Leicester ask for £90m at the last minute in Jan?....if that's true and we dint pay it,£70m ish must be what we value him at.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Breaking our transfer record at £70m is a hell of a lot of money to pay for a player that won't weaken the team.

How much would sane or Sterling cost? Circa £70m or more. It would be hard to pay less and get a player who would not be a bit of a step down. It's not cheap but it's not bad value in the current market. I would not be suprised if a load of one game wonders get bought after the world cup for £30-£70m. Seems teh going rate for a decent player but the difference with mahrez is you know he will do the business in th epremier league, he has won it and been POTY already.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

How is it , we are a very strong team, someone at the same level will be expensive.

Well cleary it's a lot of money.
Now if we sold Gundog for upwards of the 25m we paid then I think that would go some way to balancing the deal.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

How much would sane or Sterling cost? Circa £70m or more. It would be hard to pay less and get a player who would not be a bit of a step down. It's not cheap but it's not bad value in the current market. I would not be suprised if a load of one game wonders get bought after the world cup for £30-£70m. Seems teh going rate for a decent player but the difference with mahrez is you know he will do the business in th epremier league, he has won it and been POTY already.

True but I would also question whether adding another creative midfielder is as important as other positions such as a defensive mid cover for Ferna

 

[Bailey]

Surely football is a team game with all team members having different skills and weaknesses.

It is the coaches job to blend them together to enhance the skills and compensate for the weaknesses.

This Pep has done magnificently this season with the recent purchases and his tactics.
Whether Mahrez is better or worse than somebody else matters not a jot if they help to make the collective unit play consistently at a high level.

We suffered form slumps to KDB and Sane,particularly, due to tiredness.
We are now not a Harry Kane Team or Mo Salah team but a strong unit where if someone is injured or loses form we have cover in all positions.

Yes The fee being talked about is a lot of money but the goalpost have changed
Particularly for premier League players.

Whether Mahrez is a success or not only time will tell. We have to trust our management team

 

[blueparrot]

Well cleary it's a lot of money.
Now if we sold Gundog for upwards of the 25m we paid then I think that would go some way to balancing the deal.

Why would we want to do that ? If we don't need to.As it is think we'll spend about 100 mill bring in about 50. So not taking into account wages and other bits it will cost us about £10 mill /year.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Why would we want to do that ? If we don't need to.As it is think we'll spend about 100 mill bring in about 50. So not taking into account wages and other bits it will cost us about £10 mill /year.

Well I think Gundog is the weak link in the squad. That doesnt make me right of course but I am not alone in that opinion. And I also think that we have a proliferation of creative midfielders therefore it's not a high priority position especially when most seem to think he wouldnt necessarily improve the first team and finally although neither of us know for sure I would be very surprised if we carried on spending the way we have in past windows.

 

[Father Paul]

Honestly the bollocks on here. Had Raheem or Leroy of this season replaced Mahrez of 2 years ago Leicester would not have been champions.
Raheem will never be a better player, and as of now Leroy isn't. I expect he will be better as he develops.
The reason I say this is how cool he is under pressure. It is not an attribute given to many.

In current market 75m is good value. He's a Cantona sort of signing if I can mention that twats name.

How do you know for sure Sterling will not improve he is 4 or 5 years away from his peak?

 

[mosssideblue]

So who would you drop for Mahrez from the automatic first team players?

I see. That is why you are struggling with Mahrez. We dont have a first team anymore, we have a squad of very talented footballers all with something to add to the party. Game by game Pep will decide the best starting 11 based on form, opposition, tactics and no doubt a plethora of other considerations.

The only exception imo will be Eddie