Ranieri expects Mahrez to stay with Foxes

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has insisted the club have had no bids for highly sought-after winger Riyad Mahrez.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with the Algerian but Ranieri remains determined to keep the player who was a vital component of last year’s Premier League triumph.

Mahrez scored 17 league goals last season and Ranieri believes he will improve as a player if he stays with Leicester for their inaugural Champions League campaign.

“I don’t know, who is interested? Tell me if there is one. (Arsenal?) No,” said Ranieri.

“Riyad stay with us. I say hey keep going, we have to improve. Also you have to improve your experience in Champions League. It is totally different.

“The football is different from Premier League. It is important to be focussed in your job.”

(Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Ranieri has already fought off Arsenal interest for striker Jamie Vardy but N’Golo Kante has departed the KP Stadium for Chelsea.

And the Foxes boss is keen to prevent any more players heading for the exit door.

“I think it’s important (to keep all his players). If we want to go step by step forward, it’s important to understand the decision of the chairman,” he said.

“My decision is to have a biggest squad, slowly. If somebody is not happy, he has to go, but not Riyad!”