Every premiere league defender finds it hard to copy its previous season form and this time it seems to be happening with Leicester City who surprised everyone with its performance to take the league silverware last year.
This year, like always, is not going to be easy for them especially looking at the growing interest of top notch sides in their star players. There has ever been a saying in English soccer that no defender can deliver even half of what it did in the last season and this season seems to be no exception as Foxes are already struggling to sustain their form in preseason games.
Anyways, apart from their deteriorating field performance, their dressing room is something which is being targeted by the opponents especially sides like Arsenal and Chelsea who are reportedly after Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante. Manager Claudio Ranieri reiterates his confidence to retain his key players in-tact when replying about the growing interest of North Londoners into his henchmen.
Actually, Riyad Mahrez’s availability in the upcoming season is worth mentioning since he was the one who helped King Power side win their first ever English topflight with his all around performance with as many as 17 league goals and for that he was also declared PFA Player of the Year and since then almost every other side was after him and Emirate side could somehow convince him and he apparently agreed for a switch but manager is now betting for his stay with the side until 2019.
Ranieri said at a news conference ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield game against Manchester United, “I am used to speaking about these things. But it is important that my players believe in the new moment. It is normal others want Riyad and other players, but we must focus on the job.
“I speak with him a lot and I hope this will help him. The chairman told me at the beginning, when we spoke, that we want to keep everybody. Kante had a clause and wanted to go, but the others stay with us. He (Mahrez) has a contract for another three years. Why does he have to sign? He has money and everything. I speak often with him and say stay with us, it’s much better for your future, I think he is an intelligent man and he will stay.”
“We support him very well, this is important, when you change teams maybe you don’t find team-mates who help you at the same level. He improves more if he stays with us for another year, maybe next year he can think about another solution. If he goes for a lot of money, everybody will be expecting something special. He can do something special, but with us.”
Riyad Mahrez: CP DC Press / Shutterstock.com