Claude Puel’s arrival at the King Power has certainly provided an upturn in form, with the Foxes winning five of their last eight games and losing just one of their last nine. That defeat came against runaway leaders Manchester City and the Frenchman’s side can be considered unlucky not to have got something from the game as they rattled the woodwork and spurned numerous chances to get on the score sheet.

One noticeable aspect of Puel’s short stint in charge has been the significant improvement in the performance of Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, who has come close to recapturing the scintillating form that helped Leicester clinch the 2015-16 Premier League title. Is Puel’s influence enough to convince the 26-year-old to stay at the club?

Mahrez made a name for himself during the Foxes’ unlikely title success, with 17 goals in 37 games, adding 11 assists to that impressive total. He created 20 chances, put in 114 crosses and was simply unplayable for large parts of the campaign. He was linked with numerous clubs during the following summer with Arsenal, Chelsea and even La Liga outfit Barcelona rumoured to be considering a bid for the Algerian – but ultimately, nothing materialised and he remained in the East Midlands. Despite further transfer speculation, he remained with the club throughout the following campaign, which saw Claudio Ranieri replaced by Craig Shakespeare and the Foxes almost dragged into a relegation battle.

It was a slow start to the 2017-18 season but Mahrez appears to be playing with desire, hunger and, most importantly, flair once again. Claude Puel’s arrival has seen an upturn in form and his change of tactics has brought out the best in several players including the Algerian. He’s provided four assists so far this campaign and found the net three times and Leicester fans are thoroughly enjoying his resurgence.

He can be a frustrating player at times and there are occasions when the entire 90 minutes may pass him by. He wasn’t able to help Algeria qualify for the 2018 World Cup, who saw successive defeats at the hands of Zambia deny them a place at the tournament next summer. Mahrez, alongside teammate Islam Slimani, were left out of the final qualifiers following a series of underwhelming displays which saw them finish bottom of Group B. They did manage to pick up a point against group winners Nigeria who compete in their sixth World Cup and have been in drawn in Group D alongside Croatia, Iceland and Argentina. The latter are one of the favourites in tournament betting across the market according to Oddschecker, and will be a popular ante-post bet at around 9/1.

At the end of November, Puel called upon Mahrez to improve his consistency and that appears to have done the trick. The boss, who is able to communicate with his winger in French, is clearly having an effect on the player and his output has improved considerably. They have struck up an understanding that wasn’t present during Shakespeare’s tenure. Puel was often accused of being too defensive-minded during his tumultuous spell at Southampton, but his side have started every game on the front foot and aren’t afraid of committing bodies forward. The Frenchman has spoken of his intent to ‘seduce’ the PFA Player of the Year into staying with the club, but a recent change of agent perhaps suggests a move away is still his Mahrez’s prerogative.

The new man in charge at the King Power says he hasn’t received any confirmation of Mahrez’s desire to depart but the winger hasn’t been shy about declaring his intent to play at the very top level during recent interviews with French newspapers. Puel is the key to Mahrez’s future and he has recently talked up the playmaker by branding him the club’s ‘best player’ and suggesting he will need plenty of support.
The January transfer window opens on New Year’s Day and rumours will once again begin to circulate. The constant speculation surrounding the future of Riyad Mahrez is unlikely to go away anytime soon but the 26-year-old has certainly put himself back in the shop window with some much-improved performances. Claude Puel will be aiming to convince the winger to remain at the King Power but will that be enough to convince him to stay put?