Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Danny Drinkwater will be wanted in January, says Paul Merson

Leicester trio Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Danny Drinkwater will be wanted men in the January transfer window, says Paul Merson, who also fears the Foxes will not finish in the top six come the end of the season.

Claudio Ranieri's side are top of the Premier League following their 3-0 win at Swansea on Saturday, and have lost just once this season.

Algerian midfielder Mahrez scored a hat-trick in south Wales, while Vardy's 11-game scoring run came to an end at the Liberty Stadium - the pair now have 24 of Leicester's 32 Premier League goals this season

Mahrez treble sends Foxes top

A Riyad Mahrez hat-trick sent Leicester back to the top of the Premier League as they beat Swansea

Former Manchester United midfielder Drinkwater, 25, has also performed superbly this season, and Soccer Saturday pundit Merson sees all three being closely monitored by clubs in the upcoming window.

"Mahrez won't be having a little career if he plays like that every week. The problem will be January because this lad's going to be wanted. 

"Vardy's going to be wanted. Drinkwater is a very good player. It wouldn't surprise me if somebody came and bought him. There aren't too many better centre midfield players at the moment than him. 

"Ranieri played a 4-4-2 so he's not playing in a midfield three where you get loads of people working and loads of bodies. There's just him and Kante in the middle."

Asked if Leicester will finish in the top six, Merson added: "I don't think so. There's a long way to go but at the moment they are impressive."

On the receiving end of another Leicester win were Swansea, whose manager Garry Monk has come under pressure in recent months despite leading them to an eighth-place finish last term.

But Merson hopes to see Monk continue in his role, insisting the club must stick with the Englishman through difficult periods for him to grow as a manger. 

"I feel sorry for him. They started badly. I don't like seeing managers getting the sack. I think experienced managers only become experienced by working through bad times in their managerial career. 

"Garry Monk's got one at the moment and hopefully he'll be given time to work through it because last year he was a good manager so you don't become a bad manager overnight. Players lose form but hopefully he's in a job next week."