Riyad Mahrez honoured by Arsene Wenger praise

Leicester City attacker Riyad Mahrez has insisted that he is no close to leaving the King Power Stadium during this summer's transfer window.

The Algeria international received the Golden Ball award in his country yesterday, where he revealed the honour of receiving transfer interest from Arsene Wenger.

“It’s an honour to receive compliments like this from such a big manager in world football. But there’s a big difference between an offer and speculation, so there is nothing on the table at the moment,” he is quoted by The Express.

Wenger has admitted that the club may or may not move for Mahrez this summer, and there is a sense that the attacker could be a last-ditch option, should the manager fail to clinch deals for his preferred targets.

Real Madrid's James Rodriguez and AS Monaco's Kylian Mbappe are currently the top names on the list, but this could change randomly as the transfer window approaches.

The long-standing manager is due to receive a £150m plus kitty to spend on new recruits, but the availability of Mahrez does come with a hefty price with the Foxes sticking on their £50m valuation.