After Arsenal ended the London derby in a draw fans reacted on Twitter in an unexpected way. A wave of posts demanded that Wenger sign Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez who is apparently the key to bringing more trophies to Emirates. According to Metro, Gooners went as far as to say that even if this season turns out to be a bust, signing the 25-year-old Algerian international will make it all go away. But is this right-winger really that influential? And would he be playing on the same level for Arsenal?
It is true that Riyad Mahrez is currently one of the best wingers in the Premier League. It is also true that he is not only spectacular but also efficient. He managed 16 goals and 10 assists in 30 games for Leicester. What is also true though is that in the 2014-2015 season when he came in from France, he scored 4 times in 30 games and only provided 3 assists. Back then Leicester finished 14th even though they were using pretty much the same lot.
Let`s accept the fact that he might have immense potential and he simply exploded this year. Will he be able to keep it up? And if yes, would it be enough to make his way into Arsenal’s starting eleven? Who would he replace? Looking at the options for the right wing, I doubt that he would be favored ahead of a Theo Walcott who just signed a new deal or ahead of Oxlade-Chamberlain of even Campbell for that matter. The right wing is not where Arsenal’s problems are but hw would certainly be a massive upgrade on paper and he seems to have the measure of the premier league.
Is there place for Mahrez in Arsenal’s lot right now, perhaps only when the midfield and the defense has to suffer due to lack of players. It`s also not the moment to spend money on a player who has a 50-50% chance to turn into the next Torres. Leaving a team in which you and one other player are pretty much the recipients of all your other teammates’ efforts to join an Arsenal squad packed with talent can be damaging. Wenger needs to spend on players who are young, experienced and who have confirmed. Even though they are more expensive, would they would fit in a lot better than Mahrez will and will Leicester let the Algerian superstar leave for a resonable fee and does he really want to leave anyway – I have my doubts!