Quantcast
Home   >   Transfer News   >   Chelsea new favourites ahead of Arsenal to clinch £42m Mahrez deal

Chelsea new favourites ahead of Arsenal to clinch £42m Mahrez deal

By on July 26, 2016

According to the Express, Chelsea are now the bookmakers favourites ahead of Arsenal to sign Leicester City attacker Riyad Mahrez this summer.

Arsene Wenger is desperately trying to add to his attacking options and Mahrez has been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates in recent weeks.

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has pleaded with the attacker to remain at the King Power after he helped fire them to a shock Premier League title win having scored 17 goals last season.

It looked like we were closing in on a deal as Eurosport FR reported over the weekend that Mahrez had agreed terms to join Arsenal and a proposed £42m deal was expected to be wrapped-up swiftly.

However, things have since gone a little quiet over the past few days and the Express are now claiming that BetStars have installed Chelsea as the new 7/4 favourites to land the Algerian international amid rumours the Blues are lining-up a move of their own.

A spokesman for Betstars is quoted by the newspaper as saying:

“Having been rejected by Jamie Vardy, Arsenal had emerged as frontrunners to sign Leicester team-mate Riyad Mahrez in recent weeks,”

“But in the last 24 hours the market suggests that they could have been overtaken by their bitter west London rivals.

“Chelsea are now leading the chase for Mahrez at 7/4 ahead of the Gunners at 15/8, making a reunion with midfield maestro N’Golo Kante a real possibility.”

Arsenal are second-favourites at 15/8 so there isn’t much in it and obviously the bookmakers odds aren’t a sure-fire sign of any immediate transfer, but we’d be foolish to dismiss Chelsea’s threat.

The Blues are pretty ruthless in the transfer market and not only have they already snapped-up N’Golo Kante from Leicester but they have a history of hijacking their rivals deals.

MORE: Arsenal hoping to secure £8m deal this week

The odds can fluctuate all the time but let’s hope the bookies have this one wrong as I would be devastated to see Arsenal lose out to Chelsea in the race for Mahrez. He’d be a fantastic signing and I pray Wenger is doing all he can to bring him to the Emirates.