Chelsea should sign Riyad Mahrez early in the January transfer window

Chelsea should go all-out in a bid to sign Riyad Mahrez from Leicester in the January transfer window. The winger would provide necessary depth for squad rotation and force Pedro and Willian to compete for their place in the XI.

The Algerian winger has picked up his form since the arrival of new boss Claude Puel, and is starting to look like the player who fired the Foxes to the title in 2016. He started the season a little sluggishly, but has contributed five goals and an assist in his last 10 games.

With Charly Musonda rumoured to be going out on loan in January, Chelsea will be left with just Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro as attacking options on the wing. Antonio Conte has shown in recent games his flexibility with formations and personnel, highlighted by the switch in the last two matches to a front line containing all three.

Whether Chelsea continue down this line or revert to a 3-5-2, they require attacking reinforcements. The Blues are in four competitions. With a home tie against Bournemouth in the league cup this week and a favourable FA Cup draw, this will likely continue well into the new year. If any of this trio – especially Hazard – were to be injured, it would leave the squad extremely stretched.

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By comparison, the rest of the top six sides have significant depth among the wingers and attacking midfielders. Some of the quality is arguable: Phil Foden is no Kevin de Bruyne, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan may not last long at Manchester United. But simply by the numbers, Chelsea’s top competitors have a clear advantage.

The Riyad Mahrez transfer would make sense for several reasons. First, it would give Chelsea another option up top and help Antonio Conte manage his squad’s playing time as the season progresses. Coming from a Leicester side that are not part of a European tournament, he should be relatively fresh and is less likely to suffer burnout later in the season.

This also means he is not cup-tied for the Champions League. Chelsea travel to the two Manchester sides between the two legs against Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16. Antonio Conte will want to rotate his players, and not have his choices constrained by eligibility.

Next, he is a proven Premier League player. He can settle quicker at Chelsea than someone arriving from outside the league. As a title winner with Leicester, he knows how to play for a side towards the top of the table.

Mahrez has predominately spent his Leicester career on the right side of a midfield four, meaning he is very familiar with tracking back and pressing. His skills in these areas and hardworking attributes will be sure to please Antonio Conte.

Finally, he gives Chelsea something different from what they already have: a left-footed attacking player. Marcos Alonso is the Blues’ only left-footed attacking threat. Mahrez’s arrival would add another dimension to the attack and give opposition defences something new to think about.

If the tricky winger was to make the switch to Stamford Bridge, he would likely be battling Willian and Pedro for a starting place. Increased competition can only be a good thing for all involved, but who has had the better season of the three so far?

Mahrez has slightly more goals and assists than the two Chelsea attackers, although he has played more minutes. Pedro has recorded the most shots, whilst Willian has made the most successful dribbles and key passes. All three are fairly equal in terms of quality, but they all provide something different.

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Chelsea should make the move for Riyad Mahrez quickly in the transfer window. With Manchester City and Manchester United likely to continue their spending, it is vital Chelsea do not fall behind.