'My transfer to Arsenal was nearly done but the deal was blocked - I lost two years'

Riyad Mahrez was inches distant from a mammoth determination to Arsenal a twelvemonth aft his Leicester City heroics but was allegedly blocked by the club, leaving the Premier League champion "frustrated"

Riyad Mahrez claimed helium mislaid 2 years astatine the apical level aft claiming Leicester City blocked him from clinching a transportation to Arsenal.

The five-time Premier League champion - 4 times with Manchester City - wrote himself into the past books erstwhile leading Leicester to an utterly singular rubric triumph successful the 2015/16 campaign.

The Algerian's 17 goals and 10 assists during the league play saw him assertion some the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Fans' Player of the Year awards.

Mahrez, 33, remained astatine the King Power Stadium for the 2016/17 play - dissimilar N'Golo Kante who clinched a £32million determination to Chelsea - wherever helium tasted Champions League shot for the archetypal clip with Leicester reaching the quarter-finals earlier being knocked retired by Atletico Madrid.

A alteration of scenery played connected the caput of Mahrez who requested to permission the nine astatine the extremity of the 2016/17 season, with a determination to Arsenal - who instrumentality connected Leicester City astatine location connected Saturday - successful the works.

Speaking successful 2019, Mahrez alleged that a transportation to the Gunners was blocked by the Leicester hierarchy contempt his cause already having talked to then-Arsenal brag Arsene Wenger.

"After the title, if I'd near for a apical team, it wouldn't person been the aforesaid story," Mahrez told France Football. "For me, it's wide that I mislaid 2 years astatine the highest level. I mislaid 2 years! Because alternatively of arriving astatine City astatine 27, I could person been determination astatine 24, 25.

"Leicester blocked me. They told me: 'You're not leaving, you're not leaving'. My cause had spoken to [Arsene] Wenger who truly wanted me. It was astir each done with Arsenal successful 2016. I was truly frustrated."

Mahrez - who present plays for Al-Ahli - stayed 1 much twelvemonth with Leicester who were successful information of facing relegation earlier winning 7 of their past 13 league games.

"It wasn't casual to spell from being the champion subordinate successful the Premier League to being a portion of a squad warring against relegation," the winger added. "It's not the aforesaid job. Everyone is waiting for you astir the corner."

Mahrez yet bagged his a big-money determination successful 2018 erstwhile helium was sold to Manchester City for £60m, which made him the astir costly African subordinate astatine the time, a grounds that was breached a twelvemonth aboriginal by Nicolas Pepe's £72m determination to Arsenal.

He won 4 league titles, 3 EFL Cups, 2 FA Cups, and a Champions League rubric successful his 5 years astatine the Etihad Stadium earlier departing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli past year.

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