5 reasons why Riyad Mahrez to Arsenal makes total sense

If you’re an Arsenal supporter right now, the two words Riyad Mahrez are being uttered on a constant basis at the moment.

The Leicester City winger is the latest big name transfer target rumoured to be on Arsenal’s summer hitlist with reports from Eurosport France over the weekend claiming that the Algerian international wants to join the Gunners.

With a public denial from Claudio Ranieri after the Foxes’ pre-season friendly win over Celtic, not to mention players such as Wes Morgan convincing the PFA Player of the Year to stay at the King Power Stadium, the rumour still persists.

In a transfer window whereby Gooners have been crying out for a top name striker to arrive, it is looking increasingly apparent that Arsenal might not fill this area of their team at all.

That in itself would produce uproar amongst the Gunners’ fanbase with Granit Xhaka, Takuma Asano and Rob Holding having arrived so far.

But with the transfer window closing at the end of August, there is still time for Arsenal to get some business done and we just wonder that after missing out on Jamie Vardy, will the Gunners end up signing his team-mate Riyad Mahrez after all?

Here’s FIVE reasons why the transfer makes total sense in our book.

Appeases the majority of fans as a big name arrival

Arsenal fans are restless right now. Who can deny that fact?

Because just how many summer transfer windows have gone the way they are going right now?

Clear gaps in the squad yet a lack of any concrete activity on Arsene Wenger trying to rectify squad shortfalls.

The Gunners entered the summer needing another experienced centre back and striker at the very least but so far they have an additional expensive central midfielder Granit Xhaka and two prospects in the defensive and attacking areas – both Takuma Asano and Rob Holding of course.

Yea, Riyad Mahrez is not a centre back or striker but given the sheer excitement he brought to the Premier League last season, if a game-changing player such as this becomes available on the market, you sign him.

And he’d definitely get bums off seats at Emirates Stadium, that’s for sure!

Motivates both Theo Walcott & Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

While Arsenal already have their fair share of wingers notably Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the signing of Riyad Mahrez could serve to motivate them.

With the England internationals both enduring forgettable campaigns, a desierable partnership of Alexis Sanchez and Riyad Mahrez on the wings would mean the Three Lions duo would have to pull their finger out to get into the team.

And that’s no bad thing in many Gooners’ book with the form of Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain being particularly disappointing given their high potential as younger players.

Even more assists in a devastating attacking three

Riyad Mahrez was not only a constant source of goals for Leicester City last term but he also weighed in with his fair share of assists.

We’ll allow Gooners to play fantasy football in their heads right now but imagine an attacking three trio behind Olivier Giroud that comprises Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Riyad Mahrez?

Arsenal would be assisting Giroud at will and given Sanchez and Mahrez’s speed and skill, without advocating gamesmanship, the pair would draw their fair share of fouls in and around the box given their trickery and neat footwork.

The player has just seen N’Golo Kante join Chelsea

While Claudio Ranieri remains defiant that Riyad Mahrez should remain at Leicester City with pressure from his fellow players, the final decision will rest with the player himself.

Jamie Vardy remained a Foxes player and he always going to we feel but in the case of N’Golo Kante recently, the French international joined an elite Premier League side in Chelsea.

You can’t help feel that Mahrez will have similar designs on having completed the impossible at Leicester City with the player now relishing the further challenge of representing a bigger club such as Arsenal.

He was the PFA Player of the Year after all

As we saw in Leicester City’s weekend friendly up at Celtic, Riyad Mahrez is simply electric and can go left and right with ease.

Let’s not forget that this is the PFA Player of the Year we’re talking about so whether Arsenal already have too many wingers or not, who wouldn’t benefit from having a player such as Mahrez in their ranks?

For those that claim he may just be a one-season wonder, when you’ve got as many skills in the locker as Mahrez has, you’re surely more than likely to succeed in an expansive, passing team such as Arsenal than you are going to fail!