Arsenal target Mahrez dismisses Chelsea rumours

Matt Stead

Arsenal target Riyad Mahrez has dismissed rumours linking him with a move to Chelsea.

Mahrez has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, with the winger’s future shrouded in doubt.

After winning the Premier League title with Leicester, it was thought that the reigning Player of the Year could be tempted to move away from the King Power Stadium.

The Gunners led the chase initially, submitting a reported £35m bid, but Chelsea soon emerged as contenders for his signature.

Speculation intensified after many outlets claimed that the Algerian had met representatives of Chelsea at a hotel to discuss a possible move, but Mahrez himself has now denied the story.

“I don’t think about them (the tabloids) too much,” he told France Football. “I’m not part of that world. I play football and then I go home.

“It’s true that, in England, they’re crazy about it. Last Sunday, after a game, we were in the same hotel as Chelsea and that was a story. They find the smallest detail to be a part of your life.

“I know how to deal with it. After all, I’m not David Beckham.”