Follow Al Rai
Veteran Algerian star Riyad Mahrez has arrived in Doha in preparation for joining Al-Shamal, runner-up of the last edition of the Qatari Football League, on a free transfer.
A source at Al-Shamal club told Agence France-Presse that the former English Manchester City star (35 years old) will undergo medical examinations at Aspetar hospital before signing a contract linking him with the Qatari club until the end of the current season.
The player will be registered in the club's roster as a replacement for Moroccan Mohammed Rabie Hrimat, who suffered a torn cruciate ligament injury during the team's match against Al-Gharafa, within the second round of the Qatari League.
Mahrez will provide a major boost to the northern team as part of its quest to win the local league title for the first time in its history, alongside supporting its first appearance in the current edition of the AFC Champions League Elite.
The France-born player began his professional career with Quimper in 2009, before moving to Le Havre the following year, and then to English Leicester City in 2014, with whom he shockingly won the league title in 2016.
Mahrez spent five seasons with City, contributing to the team winning the league title four times in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, and the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history in 2023.
He played 236 matches with City in various competitions, scoring 78 goals and providing 59 assists, and moved to Saudi Al-Ahli in the summer of 2023 in a deal estimated at about 40 million dollars, before the club refused to renew the contract this summer.
Mahrez contributed to Al-Raqi winning the titles of the past two editions of the AFC Champions League Elite, and played 122 matches with the team in various competitions, scoring 37 goals and providing 50 assists.
Internationally (40 goals in 199 matches), Mahrez was crowned African Cup of Nations champion with Algeria in 2019 in Egypt, and participated in the 2014 and 2026 World Cups.
Know more about this story?Send us a tip
Ask about this report — answers stay grounded in its text.
