Riyad Mahrez sends message to Arsenal fans about his future

Riyad Mahrez says it is the right time for the Leicester City star to leave amid reported interest from Arsenal.

The Algeria international endured a disappointing season like most of his Leicester team-mates as the Foxes finished in 12th place in the Premier League table.

Mahrez scored 17 times and made 11 assists in 38 appearances during Leicester’s unforgettable title-winning season under Italian coach Claudio Ranieri.

The African star was voted the PFA player of the year in 2016 after his influential performances helped Leicester to win a first-ever Premier League title.

While N’Golo Kante secured a big-money move to Chelsea last summer, Leicester’s other two key players Mahrez and Jamie Vardy committed to the defending champions for another season.

However, Mahrez wants Leicester to honour his agreement to remain one more season at King Power Stadium before testing himself at a new club as Arsenal continue to be linked with the Algerian playmaker.

“The chairman and I agreed that I would stay another year at the club and that he would let me leave at the end of the season,” Mahrez is quoted as saying by Metro.

“I think it would be the right time for me to leave, I have experienced everything at this football club.

“I went from the Championship to the Premier League, I stayed up with the team the next season, we won the Premier League, I won the PFA player of the year award, I played the Champions League, so we did something quite exceptional.

“So for me, it would be the right time to leave. The club and I are on the same page regarding my future so we’ll see. I don’t really want to get into these things so we’ll see what the future holds for me.”

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Arsenal finished in fifth place in the Premier League table last term.