Riyad Mahrez will be a key figure in Manchester City's quest to go back top of the Premier League at the Emirates on Wednesday, but he could well have been lining up for Mikel Arteta's side instead.
The Algerian has unquestionably been a success under Pep Guardiola, contributing to three Premier Leagues, three League Cups, and an FA Cup triumph to add to the fairytale title he won with Leicester City. But it was following that surreal 2015/16 campaign, when the £60 million pound man's career came so close to taking a different path.
No sooner had manager Claudio Ranieri touched the coveted silverware than the raid on his suddenly elevated stars began. N'Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater went to Chelsea, while Jamie Vardy turned down Arsenal. Arsene Wenger also came in for Mahrez but, this time, it wasn't the player responsible for the move not coming to fruition.
