Chelsea have entered the race to sign Leicester star Riyad Mahrez as Antonio Conte looks bolster his offensive options ahead of next season, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Mahrez has told Leicester he wants to leave the 2015/16 Premier League champions this summer in order to make the next step in his career and the Algeria international was widely expected to join Arsenal 12 months after he turned down Arsene Wenger’s side.
However, Arsenal could now face competition from Chelsea as Conte looks to provide cover for Eden Hazard, who will miss the start of next season after breaking his ankle on international duty with Belgium earlier this month.
Conte is also looking to ensure Chelsea are capable of switching formations throughout the season and during matches and has earmarked the potential signing of Mahrez, who was voted the PFA Player of the Year 12 months ago, as a key component to adding tactical flexibility.
The Chelsea manager is also keen on signing Juventus left-back Alex Sandro and is hopeful of securing a £45m deal for the Brazil international, although this represents a far more complex transfer given his status in Max Allegri’s squad.
In the last two seasons only N’Golo Kante (7.61), who joined Chelsea last summer, has gained a higher WhoScored rating in the Premier League than Mahrez for Leicester (7.39).
For more stats on Riyad Mahrez, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
