Roma set to abandon pursuit of Mahrez in favour of Samir Nasri

Having seen their bid for the Algerian winger rejected by Leicester City, Roma looks set to drop their interest in Mahrez and turn their attention to Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri.

Roma have been looking for a winger to replace the recently sold Mohamed Salah, who joined Liverpool for a whopping €42 million. Their pursuit of PSG's Lucas seemed to have hit a dead end and they are set to move on from Riyad Mahrez as well after seeing their bid for the player turned down by Leicester.  

Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare confirmed those reports in an interview, saying: "It was politely declined on the basis that it was a low offer. Don't ask me how much because I don't know and I don't get involved in that." 

The bid was believed to in the region of €25-30 million. Roma are not willing to match Leicester's €40 million price tag for Mahrez and are turning their attention to Manchester City's Samir Nasri, according to Italian news outlet Corriere Della Sera. 

Nasri was loaned out to Sevilla last season and his return to the club for pre-season training has been reportedly met with strong objections from players. The Telegraph reported players labeling him as "arrogant" and want him to leave. 

This might open a door to Roma, who are in dire need of a winger at the moment. Nasri's contract at City ends in 2019 but the club will likely let him go on the cheap.