Riyad Mahrez hands in transfer request to Leicester City

Leicester City's star winger Riyad Mahrez on Tuesday handed a transfer request to the 2015-16 English football champions saying he wants to challenge for major honours next season.

Mahrez played a major role in helping the low profile club defy all the odds to win the English Premier League (EPL) title last season. Leicester finished 12th in this EPL season and their high was reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, with Mahrez scoring 10 goals across all competitions.

"Out of the huge admiration and respect I hold for Leicester City Football Club I wanted to be totally honest and transparent with them and have therefore informed the club that I feel now is the time for me to move on," Mahrez was quoted as saying by www.mirror.co.uk. "I had a good discussion with the chairman last summer and we agreed at that time that I would stay for another year in order to help the club as best as I could following the transition of winning the title and in the Champions League," the Algeria international added.