Transfer Centre

Claudio Ranieri confident of Riyad Mahrez stay

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 30 July 2016

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri insists that Riyad Mahrez is better off staying at the club and does not expect the PFA Player of the Year to leave this summer.

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has insisted that Riyad Mahrez would be better off staying at the club for another season.

Mahrez enjoyed a remarkable campaign to help the Foxes to the Premier League title last season, with his performances earning him the PFA Player of the Year award.

That form has led to speculation linking him to some of Europe's biggest clubs, but Ranieri is confident that the Algerian will remain at the King Power Stadium.

"I speak often with him, and I say 'stay with us, it's much better for your future'. I think he is an intelligent man and at the end, he'll stay with us. It is important to have him because we have a very good mentality and organisation, and Riyad is the man who breaks the organisation," he told Sky Sports News.

"We support him very well, and for this reason it is important he stays with us. When you change the team and go to other big teams, you have to do your job. Maybe you don't find teammates who help you at the same level. For this reason, he'll improve more if he stays with us one year more.

"Maybe next year he can think about another solution. He had a fantastic season with a lot of assists and a lot of goals. If he goes for a lot of money, everybody is waiting for something special, and he can do something special, but with us. This is very important for him."

Leicester have already lost N'Golo Kante to Chelsea this summer, but the likes of Jamie Vardy and Wes Morgan have committed their futures to the club.