- Manchester City were reluctant to meet Leicester’s £80m asking price
- Riyad Mahrez missed the 2-1 defeat by Everton at Goodison Park on deadline day
- Algerian will not be involved in the home clash with Swansea on Saturday
Riyad Mahrez faces a £200,000 fine after going AWOL from Leicester again on Friday, missing a fourth consecutive day of training.
The Algerian missed out on a deadline day move to Manchester City with the Premier League leaders reluctant to meet Leicester’s £80m asking price.
Leicester boss Claude Puel has confirmed Mahrez will not have any involvement in Saturday’s clash with Swansea at the King Power Stadium after also missing the 2-1 defeat by Everton on Wednesday.
Riyad Mahrez has been AWOL from Leicester training for a fourth consecutive day
The Algerian international faces a £200,000 fine after not reporting for training
Mahrez was desperate to force through a transfer to Manchester City and is not believed to be in the right frame of mind after the deal collapsed.
The 26-year-old was due at the club’s Belvoir Drive training ground on Thursday but stayed away, having failed to show on Tuesday – the day before deadline day – and Wednesday.
The Foxes were left in the dark by Mahrez’s absence ahead of the trip to Goodison Park.
City tabled multipled unsuccessful bids for the 26-year-old this week as Pep Guardiola sought to strengthen his squad after the serious injury suffered by Leroy Sane at the weekend.
Mahrez is not going to be involved in the home clash with Swansea this weekend
Manchester City were reluctant to meet Leicester’s £80m valuation of Mahrez on deadline day
City’s best bid for the former PFA Player of the Year was a cash-plus-player swap at £50m.
Mahrez has been in outstanding form for Leicester after the arrival of Puel as manager in October.
He has scored nine goals in 27 appearances this season, leading the Foxes into the top-half of the table.