One step separates Mahrez from his new club
Veteran Algerian star Riyad Mahrez touched down in Doha on Monday, ready to complete a free transfer to Al-Shamal, last season's runners-up in the Qatari league.
The 35-year-old will undergo a medical at the Aspetar hospital before putting pen to paper on a deal running until the end of the current season.
Al-Shamal are set to register Mahrez in place of Morocco's Mohamed Rabie Hrimat, who ruptured a cruciate ligament against Al-Gharafa in the second round of the Qatari league.
It's a statement signing. Al-Shamal are chasing the Qatari league title for the first time in their history, and Mahrez also strengthens their hand in the current edition of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Few players arrive in Qatar with a CV like his. Mahrez turned professional with Quimper in 2009, then moved to Le Havre, before stealing the spotlight at Leicester City and firing them to the Premier League title in 2016.
Five seasons at Manchester City brought four more Premier League crowns and, in 2023, the club's first ever UEFA Champions League. He played 236 matches in the sky blue shirt, scoring 78 goals and laying on 59 assists.
A move to Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia followed in the summer of 2023 for around 40 million dollars. There he played 122 matches, scored 37 goals, provided 50 assists and helped the club lift the AFC Champions League Elite title.
On the international stage, Mahrez has scored 40 goals in 199 matches for Algeria. He won the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019 and featured at the 2014 and 2026 World Cups.
