Mahrez Ready To Force Move After Arsenal Submit Fresh £35m Bid [L’Equipe]

The summer transfer window is in full swing so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal have made an improved £35m bid for Riyad Mahrez…

Riyad Mahrez is ready to force a move to Arsenal after we tabled an improved £35m (€41m) offer for the Leicester City attacker on Wednesday, according to L’Equipe.

Mahrez has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal this summer after the Algerian international played a starring role in helping Leicester secure a shock Premier League title win last season.

Arsene Wenger has seemingly stepped up his interest in the attacker with the Independent reporting yesterday that we were ready to test Leicester’s resolve with an improved offer after seeing our opening £30m bid rejected.

It seems we’ve acted quickly to table the fresh offer as reputable newspaper L’Equipe claim today that Arsenal submitted an improved £35m (€41m) bid for Mahrez on Wednesday.

The French outlet also suggests that the 25-year-old is determined to join Arsenal and is now prepared to force a move to the Emirates after rejecting Leicester’s offer of a new contract.

Further reports from French news agency RMC [via Get French Football] support the claim that Arsenal have submitted a new offer for Mahrez but suggest that we’ll have to pay closer to £43m to persuade the Foxes in to a deal.

Interestingly, RMC also claim that Wenger has ditched plans to sign a top class striker and wants to land Mahrez and a centre-back before the close of the summer transfer window.

These reports coming out of France are in direct contrast to what the British press are saying, with the Guardian claiming that Mahrez has accepted he’ll stay at Leicester for at least another year following talks with the board.

So it really comes down to who you choose to believe. The French media seem to think the player wants a move to Arsenal and we’ve tabled a new bid, while the British media feel Mahrez has accepted he’ll stay at the King Power for another year.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop but all I know is I’d love to see Mahrez join Arsenal this summer – although I’d be concerned if signing the Algerian meant Wenger wouldn’t also bring in a top class striker before the end of the month.