Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made personal contact with Riyad Mahrez and his agent to convince the player to join the Gunners, Algerian newspaper Le Buteur has revealed.
The Leicester City attacking midfielder has agreed to join the Gunners despite his club insisting that he will be not be sold in the summer.
If the transfer goes through, the Algerian will be the Frenchman's fourth summer signing at Arsenal.
At the end of last month, Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri revealed that he had a personal chat with the player as he confirmed that the intention of the Premier League champions is to keep the 25-year-old at the King Power Stadium.
"It is good for you [the media] not for us," Ranieri told reporters after victory over Celtic.
"Did you see how Riyad is happy? He played so well, worked so hard for the team, he scored a goal and he stays with us.
"It is very important (to keep him] he is one of our stars.
"Other teams maybe have more stars and maybe he doesn’t play at the same level, because maybe is on the bench so it is much better he stays with me.
"Maybe tomorrow some newspapers say [he is worth] £100 million, that is good – keep going. It is only speculation.
"Last season we lost Esteban Cambiasso and everyone was crying ‘oh Cambiasso, Cambiasso’, now we are crying because we lost Kante.
"Don’t worry. Football in Leicester will keep going."
