Riyad Mahrez rejects Roma in favour of Arsenal switch

Roma have been rejected by Riyad Mahrez in favour of a move to Arsenal, claims The Sun.

The paper says that the Algerian winger is "prepared to wait until later in the transfer window" to seal a move to the Emirates despite the intense interest from Roma. The Italian outfit tabled a bid last week for the Leicester wideman, but he has his set on signing for the Gunners in what the Sun says will be a £35m move.

Arsenal have made no secret of their interest in the 26-year-old Mahrez and Leicester have accepted that they won’t be able to persuade him to stay at the King Power Stadium.

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Arsene Wenger has also been tailing Monaco winger Thomas Lemar in recent weeks but the French champions "are reluctant to sell another star man" having lost Benjamin Mendy to Manchester City at the weekend.

Meanwhile Wenger has dismissed as "media imagination" reports that Alexis Sanchez is set to sign for Paris Saint-Germain. Goal.com is one of several outlets to have claimed that the Chilean frontman met PSG sporting director Antero Henrique in the French capital to discuss personal terms ahead of a move.

A transfer fee of €50m has been mooted but when the rumour was put to Wenger at the weekend during Arsenal’s tour of China, the Frenchman rubbished the suggestion as the result of media fantasy.

"No, I don't think he was in Paris," said Wenger. "I read L'Equipe in the last three or four days. It [transfer rumours] has moved from Sanchez to Neymar. Today they speak about Neymar, three days ago they speak about Alexis... I think I've made it clear a few times that he is not for sale and this is my stance."