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It is a done deal. Riyad Mahrez will move to Arsenal from Leicester City with an announcement expected later this week. That’s it then?

It’s a story that has been doing the rounds for the last 24 hours and has been carried by plenty of media outlets in Britain and Europe.

The only problem is that there is no substance to the story and, in fact, it is a version of a similar story that was published by others in the middle of last week.

So let’s put you in the picture and try to answer fans’ questions on exactly what is happening.

Where does the story comes from?

It first appeared on the Italian website Calcio Mercato on Sunday – a website that specialises in transfer stories of varying degrees of accuracy.

What is unclear is why an Italian website would have journalists with the inside track on an Algerian, brought up in France who plays his football in England.

The story was then picked up and used by various mainstream British media to give the spurious story some undeserved credibility.

In fact, various sources later poured cold water on the claims with the France Football journalist Nabil Djellit, who has been remarkably well informed on Mahrez, saying “Arsenal are one of many clubs interested, it is no more than that.”

Spanish media outlet Sport last week ran a story to say that Mahrez had agreed a four-year deal with Arsenal and the deal was done. He had apparently become “tired of waiting” for Barcelona to make their move. Yes, sure.

What’s really going on, then?

Arsenal are known to be interested in Mahrez and manager Arsene Wenger has admiited to that fact. But the Gunners are interested in a series of targets and there is nothing to say that Mahrez is top of their target list.

All these stories overlook the fact that Leicester City will have a big say in Mahrez’s departure – and he will not be allowed to leave unless the price is right.

Mahrez only signed a new lucrative contract last summer and still has three years to run on that deal.

Mahrez and Arsenal have both admitted previously that no bids have even been made, and as far as we understand that is still the case.

So, is Mahrez going to Arsenal or not?

It is a definite maybe here. Arsenal have an interest, but whether that materialises into a substantial bid is something else. All our information is that there is nothing happening any time soon.

The general opinion was that the Mahrez transfer story could run the length of the transfer window – and there is nothing to suggest anything different.

We’ll probably have to get used to two stories a week saying a Mahrez deal has been done. Who knows, soon or later one of them could even be right.