Manchester City expected to make formal offer for Riyad Mahrez

France Football suggest that City are looking to pip Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona for the signature of the Premier League's Player of the Year.

Mahrez is currently under contract with Leicester until June 2019 - and they are likely to slap on a price-tag of around £33 million.

They are also still hopeful they might tempt him to stay as they look to defend their title - but he may yet be lured by the possibility of further silverware with City or Barca.

Reports earlier in the close season had suggested that Mahrez had already committed his future to the Foxes, with club vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha telling the Telegraph website: "I want the players to enjoy this moment and not be concerned about their contracts. They are good boys and they understand.

"Even Mahrez, I talked to him and said, 'Are you concerned?' He said 'No, no, I want to stay'. This is what he wants, he wants to stay.

"It depends on the players and the clubs who want them, but we have no policy to sell the players and we don't have a problem with money.

"We will try everything that we can to build the team and to secure the same group of players and add some quality."