Nigel Pearson dubbed little known Leicester City signing as "very talented" - He became a global superstar | OneFootball

Leicester's £400k deal to sign Riyad Mahrez from Le Havre turned out to be a masterstroke, with the winger going on to become a global superstar.

Leicester City played their part in one of the biggest stories in English football in 2016, when they stunned the world by lifting the Premier League title.

One of the key men involved as they conquered the land was a little-known Algerian talent signed in January 2014 under Nigel Pearson.

Arriving during Leicester's promotion campaign, Riyad Mahrez was dubbed "very talented" by Pearson. However, with all of his talent considered, nobody associated with Leicester could have predicted what a stroke of genius securing the signature of Mahrez would turn out to be.

Leicester City sign "very talented" unknown youngster

Mahrez made his move to the King Power Stadium from Le Havre in France for a reported bargain fee of £400,000. Following the announcement, Leicester manager Nigel Pearson said: "I'm delighted we've been able to sign him.

"Any signing has to improve what we already have, and Riyad is a very talented, technically good player."

After helping the Foxes secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time in a decade, Mahrez played a crucial role in their fight for survival in the 2014/15 campaign.

Leicester defied the odds by winning seven of their last nine matches, with Mahrez contributing two goals in a vital May clash against Southampton. He ended the season with four goals and three assists in 30 league appearances, earning him a new four-year contract.

He quickly proved his worth.

In the 2015/16 season, Mahrez exploded out of the gates, netting four goals in his first three games. By December, he became the first Algerian to record a Premier League hat-trick, doing so in a standout performance against Swansea City. He reached double figures before the turn of the year and continued to dazzle as a consistent creative force in Claudio Ranieri’s counter-attacking side.

As Leicester completed their astonishing title run, Mahrez’s contributions were widely recognised. He was one of four Foxes named in the PFA Team of the Year and made history by becoming the first African player to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award. He was also the first Algerian to lift the Premier League trophy.

Though the following season saw a dip in domestic form with a 12th-place finish, Mahrez still shone on the European stage. He played a key role in Leicester's Champions League campaign, scoring four goals and assisting two more as the club reached the quarter-finals.

At the close of the 2016/17 season, Mahrez expressed his desire to leave Leicester. When a move to Manchester City initially collapsed the following January, his decision to temporarily stop attending training sparked criticism over his professionalism, before eventually making the move to Pep Guardiola's City in July 2018.

Nonetheless, his legacy as a transformative figure in Leicester’s modern era remained firmly intact.

£400K signing went on to become a global superstar

Making the move to the Premier League champions, Manchester City paid a reported £60 million fee for the services of the Algerian, making him the most expensive African footballer before Nicolas Pepe's £72 million move from Lille to Arsenal in 2019.

Becoming a key man under Pep Guardiola, Mahrez went on to hit incredible numbers while lifting every trophy available throughout his time at the club. He became a central figure in a side well-renowned for its attacking flair.

During his five-year spell at City, his haul of trophies includes: five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three Carabao Cups, and most notably, Mahrez played a key role in the club's historic treble-winning 2022/23 campaign, which included their first-ever Champions League title.

His trademark left-footed efforts made him a nightmare to defend. And he scored a stunning brace against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020/21 Champions League semi-finals to help send City to their first ever final in the competition.

Mahrez left the club in 2023 to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in a £30 million deal, marking the end of a trophy-laden era.

Once deemed "very talented" by his maiden coach in English football, Mahrez went on to become a Premier League and global superstar.

Alongside this, the £400,000 bargain that Leicester were able to secure the signature of Mahrez for is not just one of the best pieces of business in EFL history, but across the continent as a whole.