Barcelona enter race to sign Manchester United target Riyad Mahrez

Barcelona have expressed interest in signing Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City this summer despite talks of a new contract to tie him at the King Power Stadium. The midfielder has been in brilliant form this season and has been the key orchestrator of Leicester's campaign thus far, but the Foxes are resigned to losing him in the upcoming transfer window especially with many big guns vying for his signature.

The Mirror reported that Leicester are prepared to offer him a £75,000 ($108,000) a week salary to stay at the club, more than double of what he is currently earning. However, a move to Barcelona would be too hard to resist for the 24-year-old, who has other suitors in the Premier League if he chooses to stay in England.

Manchester United have made the Algerian their prime target for the summer, with the Manchester-based club looking for a complete revamp in the upcoming transfer window. Manager Louis van Gaal is likely to be replaced by Jose Mourinho, with Inter director Bedy Moratti confirming that the former Chelsea man has his eyes set on a move to Old Trafford.

Arsenal are also interested in the playmaker as a long-term replacement for Sani Cazorla, with the Spaniard having entered his thirties and having undergone surgery on his knee, which has sidelined him for three weeks. The Gunners will however be wary of the financial power of their rivals, with Barcelona and United both capable of providing more lucrative terms to the midfielder if it enters a bidding war.

Barcelona value the midfielder at around £20m and are unlikely to rise much higher than that given the wealth of talent they have at their disposal. Their inability to stump up the cash may favour clubs in the Premier League, who will have more money to play with next season, with a new TV deal coming into effect, which will significantly bolster their coffers.