Riyad Mahrez looks on from the Leicester City bench at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City began negotiations with Leicester City over the transfer of Riyad Mahrez more than a week before the end of the January transfer window, Sky Sports News understands.

Leicester manager Claude Puel accused Man City of a lack of "respect" for leaving their approach until "just one or two days before the end of the transfer window".

But we understand Leicester were open to discussing a potential fee for the Algerian international and that if the Foxes had, at any point, said they did not want to discuss a potential transfer, then Man City would have walked away from the negotiations.

Mahrez is now pushing for a recall to Leicester's starting line-up on Friday night when they host Sheffield United in the FA Cup.

The 26-year-old started on the bench and was introduced on the hour mark as Man City beat Leicester 5-1 in the Premier League last weekend.

Mahrez submitted a formal transfer request in an attempt to push through a move to Man City and had been absent from training after the transfer window closed until returning on Friday ahead of his side's trip to the Etihad.

He had also previously been omitted from the matchday squads for Leicester's 2-1 defeat at Everton and the 1-1 home draw with Swansea.