Arsenal: Riyad Mahrez would become another Lucas Perez

Arsenal have hit a bit of a brick wall in the Thomas Lemar deal, which makes it the perfect time to ‘give up’ on their supposed pursuit of Riyad Mahrez.

This will almost certainly go down as one of Arsenal’s most productive transfer windows in recent memory. The signings that they’ve made, combined with the dead weight they will undoubtedly offload makes it long overdue in both regards, not to mention the potential contracts that will be signed.

But the one area they have been stifled at is in the winger/attacking midfield department. It has been clear from the get-go who they want – Thomas Lemar. The reports have been running laps around their pursuit of the Monaco creator and each lap has been met with another necessary lap because they just can’t get the deal done.

So what does this have to do with Riyad Mahrez? Everything.

It’s being suggested that the Gunners are about to give up on Riyad Mahrez, with Roma looking more intent, and I don’t think it could come at a better time. This is a time when the player that you actually want is potentially out of reach, but come next summer, things could change.

It may have become a bit of a nasty word lately at Arsenal, but it’s time for patience here. As much as I want to see Lemar at the Emirates, bolstering that particular position is not in the necessity stages just yet. Not if Alexis Sanchez is staying.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

So there’s no point to go into a panic buy and get Mahrez just because you haven’t had success with Lemar. That solves nothing. It would put Mahrez in a situation where he becomes another Lucas Perez because he doesn’t have a position in the first team to go to. He doesn’t have a specific gap to fill at the club.

He would be an emergency fill-in, like Lucas was, but if there is no emergency, there is no need.

It would have been much smarter for the Gunners to not sign Lucas, wait a year and land Lacazette. Just like it would be smarter for Arsenal to not sign Mahrez, wait a year (or six months…) and sign Lemar. Don’t dish out money fora player you don’t explicitly want, and given their lackluster pursuit of the Algerian compared to Lemar, they don’t explicitly want Mahrez.

Next: 5 Title-Winning Signings For Arsenal

Which means it’s time to let it go, as is being suggested, work with the resources that you have. And don’t settle. Especially because the position, as mentioned, is not exactly starving for options.

Home/Arsenal Transfer Rumours