Player Analysis: Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez joined Manchester City as their club-record signing in the summer of 2018, but that was only after four failed bids from the then-defending champions and a week of missed training with Leicester City, as he went AWOL.

Expectations were, therefore, quite high, but that was not something the Algerian international was used to. He had spent his early days in the lower leagues of France, even turning down a move to Paris Saint-Germain or Olympique Marseille as he joined Ligue 2 club Le Havre’s academy in 2010. After four years in Normandy, Mahrez was scouted by Leicester City (while monitoring Le Havre for a different player), who signed him for about €500,000.

After a slow start to life in Leicester, the tricky winger hit his stride at the right time - the fabled 2015/16 season. He became the first African player to be named PFA Player of the Year as his 17 goals and 11 assists led Leicester to an impossible league title. Those performances naturally attracted attention from all over Europe, but it took 18 months and three transfer windows’ attempts to leave before that interest materialised, and his new home was in Manchester.

As is traditional for any Pep Guardiola signing, Mahrez was eased into the first team during his debut season where his numbers read half as well as they had done in Leicester, but his Manchester City career soon picked up pace as he became an important player in the initial stages of the 2019/20 season. However, a poor start to the 2020/21 season seemed to derail his momentum, but he has been on fire lately, more than making up for the second half of 2020.