Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 6y

Leicester's Riyad Mahrez: Joining Man City would have been 'a good move'

Riyad Mahrez has said it would have been "a good move" had he completed a switch to Manchester City, and did not rule out leaving Leicester City in the summer.

Algeria international Mahrez was a January transfer target for City but the Premier League leaders were unwilling to meet Leicester's £95 million valuation.

Mahrez, 27, was frustrated that the club priced him out of a move to the Etihad Stadium and stayed away from training, also missing two games, before returning against City on Feb. 10.

"I was away from here because I needed some time to think," he told Sky Sports News. "It was a difficult situation but we moved on, everyone -- the club, players, me.

"Manchester City is a good move for everyone, but it's the past. I don't really want to talk about this because it's in the past. It's behind me. If we start talking about this, it's like coming back to this transfer window.

"Now I'm moving forward, trying to give my best for the team, and that's most important."

Mahrez said he regretted the way he had handled the situation but had thought it was the best thing to do at the time.

"It was difficult, but I spoke with the players, I spoke with the manager, I spoke with everyone and everyone was OK, everyone was good," he said. "Like I said, we moved on and now it's the past. It's behind me."

Mahrez is under contract at Leicester until summer 2020 but did not commit to staying at the club after the end of the season.

"In football players come, players leave," he said. "I'm not saying I'm coming or going.

"We always talk between me and the club. Everything is good, so we will see in the summer if things come. At the moment I'm a Leicester player and I am good here. We are very far away from the transfer window."

Mahrez, named PFA Player of the Year in 2016 after helping Leicester to the title, is hoping to add another trophy this season after they reached the FA Cup quarterfinals.

"My mind and my focus is on Leicester," he said. "There's still 10 games to go -- nine in the league and one in the cup. Maybe three in the cup or two in the cup, you never know.

"That is all I am focused on, so the transfer window, I don't want to talk about it."

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