The Manchester City fans in the Transfer Tavern are hoping their club can wrap up a deal for Riyad Mahrez sooner rather than later to finally end 6 months of speculation, but the supporters are beginning to wonder if the desired conclusion will ever be reached.
If reports are to be believed then it would seem that Pep Guardiola has been on the cusp of bringing Mahrez to the Etihad Stadium for a matter of weeks, but no official confirmation has yet been announced. James Maddison is expected to arrive at the King Power Stadium in the coming days after Leicester had a £20 million bid accepted by Norwich City, and his arrival could finally pave the way for the Algerian ace to join City.
However, Leicester’s extortionate asking price could well prove to be a stumbling block in negotiations between the two clubs this summer, and if that proves to be the case then City may be forced to consider alternative options. With that in mind, Guardiola should turn his attention towards Mexico’s match-winner against Germany yesterday afternoon, namely Hirving Lozano (valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt) of PSV Eindhoven.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder was tipped to join City last summer before he eventually opted for a move to PSV in a deal worth just £7.2 million from CF Pachua, which now looks like a bargain following his debut season in the Eredivisie. Lozano – commonly referred to as ‘Chucky’ – scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists from 29 league appearances last season whilst operating in a multitude of roles across the attacking-midfield three.
His league form was mightily impressive, but perhaps the most telling indicator of his ability to succeed in the Premier League arrived yesterday when he tore Joshua Kimmich to shreds in Russia with a match-winning performance for the Mexican nation to savour. Lozano was in electric form all-afternoon as he utilised his blistering pace, dazzling dribbling and clinical finishing to devastating effect by slamming home Mexico’s first-half winning strike following an incisive counter-attack.
Kimmich has established himself as one of the best right-backs on the planet in recent years with his well-rounded displays for Bayern Munich, but Lozano made him look distinctly average at times on Sunday afternoon. Like Mahrez, the 22-year-old possesses the versatility to play in a handful of attacking roles and, considering the extent of his technical ability and potential to improve, Lozano could represent a better value for money signing than Leicester’s talisman this summer.
Guardiola clearly has his heart set on landing Mahrez, but if he is unable to secure the services of his number one target he should do everything in his power to land a player who possesses all of the attributes to become a sensation in the Premier League.
Man City fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
