Premier League manager claims Manchester City are ‘disrespectful’

Leicester City boss Claude Puel says City are disrespectful [Photo: Courtesy]

Leicester City boss Claude Puel is accusing Manchester City lack of ‘respect’ after City pursued Riyad Mahrez.

Manchester City waited until the last 48 hours before the close of January transfer window to pursue Riyad Mahrez in a bid to bring the forward to Etihad which did not augur well with Claude Puel terming the move ‘disrespectful.’

The 26-year-old Algerian also tried to force the move away from Leicester by going AWOL. According to the Mirror, Puel says that it is not normal to make a first bid one day or two days before the close of the transfer window.

Mahrez (L) get instructions from his boss Puel (R) in a past match [Photo: Courtesy]

The manager also feels that they do not have players with same qualities as Riyad and so unlike other teams who find it easy to replace their best players when they leave, Leicester City would find it difficult to replace Mahrez and therefore they need respect from other teams with regards to bids for their star players.

Mahrez was disappointed after the deal failed to go through [Photo: Courtesy]

Riyad Mahrez was disappointed after the transfer window was closed without the deal going through. He felt that Leicester City blocked his move to City. Mahrez was unsettled according to reports and he failed to turn up for team training before the trip to Everton in a game that his team missed his presence since no one could manage to take set pieces of his quality. He also failed to play against Swansea at home three days later.

Pep Guardiola moved for Mahrez when City lost winger Leroy Sane to injury [Photo: Courtesy]

Leicester failed to win any match during Mahrez’s 10 days absence which clearly demonstrated that he plays a major role in his team’s success.

Fortunately, the forward made a comeback from the bench in the 5-1 loss to Manchester City and since then, he is pushing forward and preparing to start against Sheffield United in the FA Cup on Friday.

Puel is now optimistic after Mahrez's comeback [Photo: Courtesy]

As reported by the Mirror, Puel was upbeat after Mahrez held a clear the-air-talk with the team mates before returning to training last Friday. The Leicester boss also acknowledged that the positive treatment Riyad was accorded by the club, the players, the squad and the staff was important for him to move on.

Mahrez has now tried and failed to leave Leicester for two windows running [Photo: Courtesy]

It is not clear whether Mahrez will be willing to stay at Leicester or look for a new club when the transfer window opens in the summer. Nevertheless, Leicester City will have to start scouting for his replacement early enough to give them easy time in the market if at all they will fail to keep Mahrez at the club.