It's the news no Leicester fan wants to read but Claudio Ranieri has admitted that he would sell Riyad Mahrez should the Algerian attacker want to leave the club.
Due to Leicester's unexpected Premier League title challenge, which has all but guaranteed them Champions League football for the next season, many of Ranieri's first team have entered the radars of Europe's top clubs, with Mahrez the most wanted member of the current Foxes team.
Mahrez only set Leicester back £400,000 two years ago but would likely command a fee in excess of £20m should he leave the King Power Stadium. Speaking of the possibility of Mahrez leaving, Ranieri admitted it was a possibility and that he wouldn't stand in the Algerian's way.
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"If I was Riyad, I would say, 'There are a lot of teams who want me. OK, I have to show more if I want to go there. I have to show my best, because if I do my best maybe they will want to buy me.'"
"We want to keep all our players. We believe in them. But if a player says, 'Boss, I want to go there because it's my ambition to go there', I'll say, 'Go and enjoy, and good luck'. I want only players happy to stay here.
"If Riyad plays well he continues to play. If he thinks about other teams then he comes with me on the bench."
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(H/T Metro)
Topics: Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City, Claudio Ranieri, Football