If Arsenal’s deal to sign Monaco’s Thomas Lemar breaks down, the Gunners will be left with no choice but to sign Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez.

The more the summer plods along, the more we’ll hear about Riyad Mahrez’s situation at Leicester. According to The Sun, the Algerian international has been talking about a move to Arsenal for the last two summers.

We know Arsenal’s interest has stood since Mahrez won the PFA Player of the Year during Leicester’s title winning season in 2015/16, but the Gunners have to yet to act this summer. Mahrez has handed in a transfer request to help push for a move but there’s been no developments.

Arsene Wenger has been after Monaco’s Thomas Lemar who is believed to be higher up on Arsenal’s wishlist. A £45m price was reportedly agreed, but should the deal break down, the Gunners will need an alternative.

Mahrez has long been mooted as Arsenal’s “back up” target should they be unable to sign Lemar and a deal for the former would be straight-forward. The player wants to leave Leicester for Arsenal and his asking price of £40m is affordable, says the Metro.

Quick business isn’t always the best business, but this is one scenario where Arsenal can’t afford to keep playing the long game. The longer they chase Lemar, the stronger the possibility of another club swooping in and signing Mahrez.

It’d be incredibly frustrating to not sign Lemar, and then to find we can’t sign our back-up target, either.