Mahrez tells vice-chairman he's keen to stay in Leicester

With players like Jamie Vardy, N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez putting together career years for Leicester City in its 2015-16 Premier League-winning campaign, it's only a matter of time before the big clubs come knocking at the Foxes' door this summer.

Mahrez was the first to voice his ambitions to stay in Leicester come the start of next season, communicating "I want to stay" in a conversation with Leicester vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, as first reported by The Guardian on Thursday.

"I want the players to enjoy this moment and not be concerned about their contracts," said Aiyawatt, son to billionaire Leicester owner Vichai.

"They are good boys and they understand. Even Mahrez, I talked to him and said ‘are you concerned?' He said ‘no, no, I want to stay'. This is what he wants, he wants to stay.

"It depends on the players and the clubs who want them, but we have no policy to sell the players and we don't have a problem with money.

"We will try everything that we can to build the team and to secure the same group of players and add some quality."

The conversation counters an earlier statement on Thursday from Mahrez' agent saying that the chances were "50-50" whether or not the Algerian international would be suiting up for the Foxes next season.

The pledge from Mahrez gives a significant boost to the Leicester camp as they prepare for a potential fire sale of talent this off-season with the likes of Kante and Vardy also in the transfer mix. Manager Claudio Ranieri will fight to maintain his current core as his club looks to establish itself against some of Europe's toughest opposition in next season's Champions League.

Some of that maintenance seems to include some significant pay raises for the Leicester superstars, which includes doubling Mahrez' current wage to £75,000 per week. Kante seems to be the most plausible to go with an apparent £20 million release clause and interest coming from the likes of Arsenal and Paris St-Germain.

Regardless of who goes where, Foxes fans can look forward to an off-season where every week one of their players is linked with a move away from the club. Ranieri will fight to keep his squad together; the raggedy group of misfits and rejects who had the ability to shock the world and beat England's elite to the Premier League title.

"If you go away you don't know what happens, here you are the king. It is much better to stay here one year more and look at what happens. Then maybe you can go anywhere," said Ranieri.

"You maybe change a team and go in the big teams, maybe you don't start very well and stay outside the first XI, you slow down. It is important to choose very well for the lads because now for me as well the lads are my sons. If they come to me I say this, ‘Be careful'."