Is Riyad Marhez an asset Tottenham can’t live without?

If you’ve kept your pulse on the seemingly endless rumour speculation, you’ll be well aware of Riyad Mahrez’s potential link to the club.

Everyone knows – by the late hour we find ourselves – that rumours, especially in Tottenham’s case, rarely amount to anything concrete. But the thought of the star Algerian possibly  joining Spurs is a topic worth discussing.

The reported transfer fee

Firstly, there is a caveat to a the mounting speculation: Leicester have branded their top playmaker with a £50 million price tag, which is a complete non-starter for Tottenham’s brass.

Daniel Levy will pay no more than about £35 million for Leicester’s winger, but should he even entertain a discounted price for the mercurial talent?

Some schools of thought would suggest that it’s utter madness to scupper a deal which would see the 2015-16 PFA Player of the Year bound for Tottenham. However, I am not part of that particular school of thought.

Nobody is denying that Leicester relied heavily on Marhez’s offensive contribution during their improbable title-winning run. His 2015-16 stats speak volumes: Mahrez scored 17 goals and chipped in with 11 assists in his breakout year.

An asset Spurs can’t live without?

However, a single extraordinary season doesn’t automatically make him an asset Spurs can’t live without.

After being dubbed the Premier League’s best player in 2016-17, Marhez endured one of the worst recorded follow-up seasons on record. The enigmatic winger had six goals and three assists during Leicester’s miserable 2016-17 campaign. There was enough blame to go around in Leicester last season, and nobody is making Mahrez wholly culpable for his team’s epic downturn.

But make no mistake, his consistently spiritless performances last season should put prospective buyers on notice. As one of Leicester’s leaders, Marhez – along with the rest of the core players during Claudio Ranieri’s days on death row – capitulated completely. Marhez particularly showed a discernible, disconcerting and unforgivable lack of drive, commitment and desire.

Marhez – a potentially disruptive force

The proof was in the pudding, as Leicester plummeted down the table, the Foxes only making a miraculous recovery after their Italian manager – who led them to Premier League glory – had been metaphorically beheaded. That kind of wholesale capitulation – no matter the circumstances – is unacceptable and Marhez was reportedly one of the ring leaders who spearheaded Ranieri’s eventual demise.

Next: Is Daniel Levy the only sane owner in the asylum?

The 26-year-old – on his day – is one of the most talented wingers in the top flight, but his palpable petulance is not conducive to playing on Tottenham team whose camaraderie, unity and togetherness is on an unparalleled level.

Mauricio Pochettino – even though he has an uncanny knack of getting the most out of players while maintaining collective harmony – won’t want to risk having a player around – regardless of talent level – with the ability to create discord in an otherwise unified locker room.