Leicester City have reportedly bid £28m for Andros Townsend, which could open the door for Riyad Mahrez to leave for Arsenal.
The insanely high bid for the ex-Tottenham man was reported in Sunday’s Daily Star. The paper claims that Townsend isn’t in the plans of manager Frank de Boer, and therefore could end up moving on, with Newcastle and Swansea also apparently interested.
But it’s Leicester who have reportedly made the first move, bidding £28m for the England international. If the rumours are true, then this would represent a very big investment from a club that has already spent over £50m and brought in less than £10m this summer.
Perhaps then, the Foxes are anticipating a high-profile exit. Townsend plays primarily on the right-wing, the position currently occupied by Mahrez in the Leicester team.
Although Mahrez’s performances last season weren’t as strong domestically, he has started the current campaign very well, with two assists in the first three matches, including one against Arsenal. This may help convince a top club to make a bid.
Arsène Wenger previously revealed that he rates the Algerian, but later said that Arsenal were never close to signing him, with the club already possessing “similar types” of player.
Whether Mahrez has done enough to convince Wenger to bid for him remains to be seen, but if Townsend does join Leicester it may represent a sign that something could be on the horizon.