Mahrez to Man City takes fresh twist as transfer request withdrawn (Goal)

The Algerian winger was eager to leave Leicester during the January window, but has realigned his focus and will wait to see what the summer brings

Riyad Mahrez has withdrawn his transfer request at Leicester, providing a fresh twist in a long-running saga regarding a potential move to Manchester City.

Goal revealed late in the January transfer window that the Algeria international had emerged as a £60 million target for the Premier League champions.

Pep Guardiola was eager to bring added creativity onto his books at the Etihad Stadium, but Leicester held firm and refused to enter into discussions regarding the 2016 PFA Player of the Year.

Mahrez attempted to force the issue by handing in another transfer request, having been frustrated in his efforts to leave the Foxes for some time, but he has realigned his focus and claims that he is no longer pushing for a switch elsewhere.

Instead, a man tied to Leicester until 2020 will wait and see what the summer brings, telling Sky Sports: “I am still contracted to Leicester and at the moment I am here so we will see.

“At that time I handed in a transfer request because I had offers from Manchester City, so obviously I wanted to go, but now I am still in Leicester.

“With me especially you never know what is happening. Every time I have to go but I am still here, so I don’t really want to talk about I’m going, I’m staying, you know.

“I just want to finish the next three games and we will see what will happen to me.

“It [the transfer request] is gone. It was in January. Now it is another transfer window.

“I am still here and I don’t want to put a lot of things in my head. I am very cool and relaxed about it.”

Mahrez missed several training sessions at Leicester in the wake of a failed effort to secure a move to Manchester City.

Upon returning to the fold, he insisted that the Foxes were always aware of his whereabouts and that he was merely taking a break following a draining period for him.

He has been welcomed back into the Leicester team and now contributed 10 goals and eight assists across 33 Premier League appearances.