Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez says he has withdrawn his transfer request, but his future with the club remains in doubt, the midfielder told Sky Sports.
Mahrez asked to leave Leicester in January, with Manchester City reportedly keen to sign him, and missed two games as he tried to force through a move.
Sources told ESPN FC earlier this week that Pep Guardiola plans to make another offer for Mahrez this summer, and Mahrez said he does not know what he will do once the season ends.
“At that time, I handed a transfer [request] in because I had offers from Manchester City, so obviously, I wanted to go,” Mahrez told Sky. “But now I’m still at Leicester. With me, especially, you never know what is happening. Every time I have to go but I am still here.
“I don’t really want to talk about [whether] I’m going or staying. I just want to finish the last three games. We will see what will happen for me.”
Mahrez, the PFA Player of the Year when Leicester won the Premier League in 2015-16, has twice handed in a transfer request.
Leicester were reportedly holding out for £95 million in January, with City prepared only to offer £60m in a cash-plus-player offer.
But the request has been withdrawn, and Mahrez remains content with his role at Leicester so far.
“It’s gone,” Mahrez said. “It was in January. Now it’s another transfer window, so, like I said, I am still here. I don’t want to put a lot of things in my head. I’m very cool and very relaxed about it.”
Meanwhile, Leicester boss Claude Puel said he believes the club must suffer short-term pain for long-term gain after being given the backing of the owners.
The Frenchman met with chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and son Top on Friday where the King Power Stadium chiefs offered him their support. He has come under fire with the Foxes having won just twice in their last 11 Premier League games — including a 5-0 hammering at Crystal Palace last week.
“We have to endure this short-term pain for long-term gain,” said Puel, ahead of Saturday’s Premier League visit of West Ham. “It’s a summary but it’s important because we’ve put in place the foundations, we’ve improved a lot but at the end of the season we wasted a little of the benefits.
“It [the meeting] is a normal thing at the end of the season to bring together all the energy for the last games. It was important to have this good support from our owner. It’s not just about me, it’s the support for all the people in the club.
“He [Vichai] has confidence in all people working for him and he gave his support because our last game was not good enough and we have to correct this.
“We understand the situation is not a good thing for the end of the season and we need to make amends and push up together.”
Information from the Press Association was used in this report.
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