Report: Roma abandons pursuit of Leicester's Mahrez

Roma has ended its pursuit of Leicester City midfielder Riyad Mahrez, leaving the Algerian in an awkward position following his public demand to be sold this summer.

Officials from the Italian side are believed to have informed Leicester that the club will not submit another offer to buy Mahrez, according to Sky Sports' Fabrizio Romano, after failing to convince the English side to sell him after three attempts.

Roma's last offer was reportedly worth €35 million (£31 million), which was well short of Leicester's alleged asking price of €50 million (£45 million).

Last week, Roma sporting director Monchi revealed that he was optimistic over Roma's chances of landing the Algerian after submitting a "significant" offer that would have broken the team's transfer record. But he will likely turn his attention elsewhere, with reports suggesting Roma could make a move for Juan Cuadrado of Juventus.

Roma's public interest in Mahrez was revealed after the 28-year-old issued a statement explaining he is "fiercely ambitious," and that he hopes to pursue other opportunities.

Despite his apparent unrest, Mahrez was included in Craig Shakespeare's team Friday and featured for the entirety of Leicester's 4-3 loss to Arsenal on the opening day of the Premier League season.