Arsenal Transfer News and Rumors: Leicester City Star Riyad Mahrez on Arsenal's Radar

Arsenal was the only club across the top 5 leagues in Europe, which did not buy a single outfield player in last summer's transfer window and that callous decision seems to have come back to haunt them as they find thjeir league title challenge in tatters after another new year collapse. However, manager Arsene Wenger is determined to correct the mistakes of last summer's transfer window and has now targetted title chasing Leicester City's Moroccan winger Riyad Mahrez as the prime target for the 2016-17 season. Leicester City's remarkable rise to the top of the English Premier League has in large parts in fuelled by the perofrmances of Mahrez, who scored 16 goals and delivered 11 assists for his teammates across the 2015-16 season.

Leicester signed the Moroccan at a bargain of only £500,000 from French second division side Le Havre and it can definitely be said that the club has struck gold, considering the astronomical fees most English clubs pay out for players these days. However, it must be said that the signing of Mahrez would not come cheap due to his superlative performances for the Foxes over the past season and Arsenal will need cough up something in the reagion of £25 million if they want to take him to the Emirates next season.

Leicester City is prepared for a raft of bids for their star winger and if that happens then Arsenal should be prepared to pay more than £25 million since a bidding war would definitely push up the price. However, Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger, who is in charge of all transfer related activities is famous for not paying anything beyond his own valuation and hence it could turn out to be a tricky negotiating process for all concerned. It is necessary to point out though, that Arsenal is going to go on a major spending spree in order to shake up the first team squad and make it a truly title challening team that could compete with the very best in the business in 2016-17.