New Leicester City manager Claude Puel has confessed he is trying hard enough to ‘seduce’ Algerian Superstar Rihad Mahrez into withdrawing the transfer request he submitted last summer and admitted his personal relationship with attacker will be key.
The 26-year-old has grabbed 37 goals in 149 matches for the Foxes but was heavily linked with a transfer away from the King Power Stadium after submitting a transfer request in the recently shut summer window.
It’s believed that Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and even Barcelona tactician Ernesto Valverde all wanted the forward but he stayed back at Leicester City for the 2017/18 League campaign.
Questioned about Mahrez, the Leicester new boss Puel said: ‘It is down to me [Claude Puel] to make these players [Riyad Mahrez] want to stay back by the fact we [Leicester City] are playing good football.
Claude Puel replaced Shakespeare as Leicester manager last week and won his first match in charge of the side with a 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday.
The African seems to have more freedom playing in a central attacking role for City, as observed by new manager Claude Puel.
One of Puel’s first acts as Leicester boss was to switch Mahrez role off the right wing he has played for nearly all his Leicester City career into a more Central number ten role behind striker Jamie Vardy and the French tactician believes it was a huge success.
