The £400k Leicester City investment that is one of the best decisions the club has made: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Leicester City stunned world football when they lifted the Premier League title back in 2016.

After a comfortable mid-table finish under Nigel Pearson the previous season, Claudio Ranieri would be at the heart of one of the greatest underdog stories the beautiful game has ever witnessed, with the Foxes seizing the opportunity of underperforming English heavyweights to lift the Premier League crown, finishing at the summit on 81 points.

This incredible achievement saw the King Power Stadium host Champions League football for the very first time as well as lift the Community Shield and FA Cup titles later down the line.

One player who was such a key component to their success was Riyad Mahrez, who was bought from French outfit Le Havre in 2014 for a reported fee of just £400,000.

In the title-winning campaign, the Algerian international registered 17 goals and 10 assists from 37 league outings, cementing his place in Leicester folklore as one of the greatest players to put on a royal blue shirt.

Though the manner of his exit was frowned upon by a lot of the Foxes faithful, the profit made on such a cheap investment must put Mahrez into legendary status for the magical moments he produced in his East Midlands stint.

How did Riyad Mahrez perform at Leicester City?

After securing promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 10 years, Mahrez was part of the 2014/15 squad that miraculously retained their top-flight status, with the Foxes winning seven of their final nine matches.

Mahrez notched a brace against Southampton at the beginning of May to finish with four goals and three assists from 30 Premier League appearances.

The back of this triumph earned the winger a new four-year contract with the club and he repaid the faith by remaining a constant creative outlet in such a free-flowing side.

Mahrez scored four goals in his opening three matches before hitting double figures in December by becoming the first Algerian to score a Premier League hat-trick against Swansea City.

After the team became Premier League champions, Mahrez was one of four Leicester players named in the PFA Team of the Year before winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.

Mahrez was the first African to earn the accolade and also became the first Algerian to win a Premier League medal.

Despite the following term ending in an underwhelming 12th placed finish, the winger helped the Foxes reach the quarter-final of the Champions League, with four goals and two assists registered in the competition.

At the end of the 2016/17 campaign, Mahrez stated his intention to leave Leicester with Arsenal and Roma interested. When a deal with Manchester City originally fell through, Mahrez stopped attending training for Leicester which saw his behaviour heavily criticised.

Mahrez eventually earned his move to the Citizens for a reported £60 million fee, making him the most expensive African footballer.

The Algerian remained a first-team mainstay under Pep Guardiola during a five-year stint at the Etihad Stadium, winning a further four Premier League crowns, three League Cup trophies, two FA Cup’s and a Champions League title.

Mahrez would go on to register 43 goals and 37 assists from 145 top-flight games.

The wide-man earned a lucrative deal to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League this season and has notched six goals and seven assists from 14 outings.

Is Riyad Mahrez Leicester City’s best ever signing?

It’s hard to look past Mahrez when posed this question given the joy and excitement he gave Leicester supporters during his time at the club.

The Foxes’ decline in recent seasons has no doubt stemmed from Mahrez’s departure, with his talent irreplaceable for such a nominal fee. These kinds of breakthrough signings don’t happen often and go under the noses of England’s biggest clubs.

His ability to inspire the Leicester side on countless occasions and produce moments out of nothing while possessing phenomenal technical prowess is a figure Leicester fans are unlikely to see again for some time without a significant amount of investment. Foxes supporters should feel privileged to have watched a player who has grown into one of the best footballers on the planet.

Jamie Vardy undoubtedly runs Mahrez close given his incredible rise from non-league football to a Premier League icon, but given how many accolades Mahrez has earned in his playing career matched with the club making an astronomical profit on their investment, the Algerian has to top the list regardless of his sour ending with the club.

Leicester’s acquisition of Mahrez was certainly a bolt out of the blue and they will do very well to find another cheap star who can replicate what the Algerian has produced over the years.