Where should Riyad Mahrez go: Arsenal, Chelsea... or stay at Leicester City?

French newspaper L’Equipe say that Arsenal bid €41 million for the Algerian international on Wednesday, but Goal’s Arsenal correspondent Chris Wheatley has backed up contradicting reports in the Guardian that suggest Mahrez will stay at Leicester, and Chelsea are also reportedly in the mix after appearing to meet with the player earlier this week.

But where will Mahrez end up… and where would be best for his career?

Arsenal appear to be the most interested of Mahrez’s suitors, with Wenger willing to spend €41m to bring the 25-year-old to the Emirates – according to L’Equipe.

And the player himself is also keen to force a move to the capital, with a little under three weeks of the transfer window remaining.

A number of other sources – including the Guardian, Sky Sports and Goal – claim that the Gunners are yet to make a bid, but Mahrez followed Yaya Sanogo on Twitter on Thursday to add further weight to the rumours.

The Mahrez of last season is a better option than any of Arsenal’s crop of right wingers. But there will be plenty of competition for that role, with Theo Walcott looking to play wide again, and Joel Campbell, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Serge Gnabry and Alex Iwobi all capable of making a success of the position.

Mahrez would be an upgrade, but his tendency to cut inside and act more as a No. 10 could make the Gunners quite narrow, with Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil likely to be doing the same from the left flank.

The Algerian was photographed at a hotel earlier this week... and not just any hotel.

Apparently Mahrez checked in at the official Chelsea lodgings, with Antonio Conte pictured in the same building.

The player’s representative also reportedly told onlookers that a move to the Bridge was on the cards, with Conte looking to add to his selection of creative players in a bid to take Chelsea back to the top of the game.

This would be a very Chelsea-type signing – Mahrez is not needed, but would be an added luxury in a talented squad.

Willian was the club’s best player last season in the same position, but Mahrez’s arrival would give Conte the option to play three behind a striker or rotate his wide players to keep the team fresh.

The money involved would be a big factor for Mahrez, who signed a new contract with Leicester last year and is earning barely a fraction of the sort of money that Chelsea would be able to offer.

Despite all of the speculation, Mahrez remains odds-on to stay at Leicester for another season. His manager Claudio Ranieri certainly believes so, and has made a pretty convincing argument.

The player’s agent is also reportedly in talks with Leicester to extend his contract and get a more favourable deal for the Premier League winner.

It would be refreshing to see a player turn down glamorous offers in favour of staying at a ‘smaller club’ to build something meaningful for once. With Jamie Vardy also staying put at the King Power there is a real chance that the Foxes could have another stellar season with Mahrez in their ranks.

The lure of a Champions League campaign must also surely be a factor, with Leicester’s expected counter-attacking style in the competition likely to leave him plenty of space to exploit.

Add in the increased wages and an almost nailed-on spot in the first team and it’s easy to see why the 25-year-old might be tempted to stay put, for another couple of years at least.