Chelsea don’t need Leicester star and must stand by struggling ace – ex-Blue

Chelsea don’t need to pursue a move for in-form Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez and should instead stick by the
players at Guus Hiddink’s disposal, particularly Eden Hazard, according to former Stamford Bridge defender Graeme Le Saux.

The Blues have endured a woeful start to 2015/16, leaving them languishing in 14^th position and all but out of the race for Champions League qualification with 17 games remaining.

But despite their issues, Chelsea are still being aligned with top players as they look to turn their fortunes around, with Leicester’s red-hot attacking midfielder Mahrez a reported target.

The Algerian has been, arguably, the best player in the Premier League so far this season, but Le Saux, speaking exclusively to 888poker.com, claimed that his old side don’t actually need the 24-year-old:

“I don’t look at the Chelsea side and say they are in need of a massive overhaul.

“A lot of it is the form and morale of the players. I look at the whole squad and they’ve got about 30 players out on loan and younger players in need of an opportunity to play and their first team won the Premier League last year.

“So who do they then add to make them better? They’ve got Pedro, Hazard, Oscar and Willian so I don’t necessarily see Mahrez fitting into that as a matter of urgency. They’ve got plenty of options available to them to get the formula right without going out and buying more players.”

Le Saux went on to defend Hazard, whose future has been the subject of intense debate over the course of the past few months:

“If you get him into the same frame of mind he was in last season then he is a special player who can be the difference.

“I’ve seen a lot of him this season and he has struggled but it’s not his work-rate that is letting him down or attitude or confidence in making himself available. In front of goal he has hit a wall and can’t score and it’s had an impact on the rest of his game.”

“I just think he is a precocious talent and if I was in Guus Hiddink’s shoes every single day I’ve have a meeting with him to make sure he feels wanted. Not to mollycoddle him but if you can get him to deliver the whole team changes. He’s that important. So I would be absolutely desperate to keep hold of him.”

To read the full interview, head to 888poker.com