Football
ESPN staff 6y

Leicester have 'moved on' from Mahrez transfer saga - Vardy

Leicester City have "moved on" from the the transfer saga involving Riyad Mahrez's failed move to Manchester City, according to Foxes striker Jamie Vardy.

Mahrez, 27, was very close to joining the Premier League leaders in the winter window, handing in a transfer request to Leicester at the end of January.

However, the deal fell through in the final stages with Leicester demanding more than City were willing to pay, and the Algeria international subsequently missed team training, as well as matches against Swansea and Everton.

Vardy told Sky Sports that the issue is over with now after Mahrez called a dressing room meeting after rejoining the team to explain his side of the situation.

 "It is what it is," Vardy said. "The bid came in, it was turned down, and you can understand his disappointment. But while he wasn't here we were having to get on with it.

"We are all professionals and had to play without him. It happens if he is injured or on the bench, so we just focused on the games. He came back, got us in the dressing room, explained the situation, and you move on."

Vardy wouldn't share the details over what Mahrez told his teammates in the closed-door meeting and gave his teammate credit for how he handled the situation in the end.

He said: "Everyone is exactly the same, they know what they have to do and their jobs. It was Riyad who wanted the meeting and got everyone in the dressing room and explained the situation, which is kept behind closed doors between us, and as far as everyone else is concerned that's that.

"You have to make sure it's like that, with the dressing room we have got everyone is a close-knit group so for him personally to want to do that shows what he is about."

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