Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez is about to join Qatari powerhouse Al-Shamal..

Qatar's state-owned sports TV station BeIN Sports exclusively reported on Thursday that former Manchester City Algeria international winger Riyad Mahrez is about to join the country's powerhouse Al-Shamal.

According to the reports, Mahrez has arrived in Qatar in advance a few days ago, and he will complete his contract signing and medical procedures with Al-Shamal in the next few days.

Mahrez is expected to sign a short-term one-year deal with the club which will only run until the summer of 2027, with the option to extend for a further year.

However, Mahrez will face a big problem after joining Al-Shamal.

Since the team's foreign player registration slots for the AFC Champions League Elite has been used up, unless Al-Shamal is willing to vacate a slot and obtain the approval of the official committee, the star who once graced the green pitch at Manchester City will not be able to play in this top Asian club level tournament.

Should the club decide to do so, Al-Shamal are expected to deregister Mohammad Rabie Hrimat. The Moroccan veteran unfortunately suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a match against Al-Gharafa not long ago and is expected to be ruled out for the season due to the injury.

The news that Mahrez has joined Al-Shamal will also shatter all rumours claiming that he has decided to retire.

Since playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with the Algerian national team and announcing the end of his national team career, there have been rumours online claiming that Mahrez, whose abilities were said to have greatly declined, is about to retire, but the player has never given any hint of such intention.

About Riyad Mahrez

The 35-year-old Mahrez was born on February 21, 1991 in Clichy, France. He is 1.79 meters tall and primarily plays as a right winger, but can also play as a left winger or an attacking midfielder. He has nationalities of France, Algeria, and Morocco.

Mahrez played for the youth academy of non-league club Sarcelles when he was a child, and also participated in a two-month trial at Scottish club St. Mirren. After graduating in 2009, he joined another non-league club Quimper and completed his Quimper first-team debut in August of the same year.

In July of the following year, Mahrez moved to Le Havre.

During his three-and-a-half-year spell at Le Havre, Mahrez attracted the attention of Leicester City scouts with his outstanding performances.

In January 2014, Mahrez joined Leicester City for £450,000.

During his four-and-a-half-year spelll with the Foxes, Mahrez won the EFL Championship title once with the team, and also unexpectedly won the Premier League title with the team in the 2015/16 season.

In August 2018, Mahrez moved to Manchester City for £60 million, making him the most expensive Algerian player in football history.

During the five-year spell at the Cityzens, Mahrez won 4 Premier League titles, 3 English League Cups, 2 English FA Cups, 2 English Community Shields and 1 UEFA Champions League title with the team.

In July 2023, Mahrez joined Al-Ahli for £30 million.

During the three-year spell at Al-Ahli, Mahrez made 112 appearaces for the Saudi Pro League giants in all competitons, scored 37 goals and provided 50 assists, where he has won the AFC Champions League Elite title once and the Saudi Super Cup once, becoming the first Algerian player in the history of football to have won the European and Asian Champions League titles.

Image source: Internet / BeIN Sports