Riyad Mahrez set for Al Shamal move and reunion with Al Ahli on 23 November

Riyad Mahrez is close to joining Qatar’s Al Shamal after leaving Al Ahli Saudi, with the Algeria international poised to return to Asian club competition.

The 34-year-old has verbally agreed to move to Al Shamal, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, with the two parties also reaching an agreement over a short-term contract. Mahrez must now complete the final procedures before his transfer to the Qatari club is confirmed.

Mahrez became a free agent after leaving Al Ahli in June last year, bringing an end to a three-season spell with the Saudi Arabian side. During his time at the club, he helped Al Ahli win the AFC Champions League Elite before the two parties ended their association last summer.

His proposed move to Al Shamal would give Mahrez a new challenge in Qatar while allowing him to remain involved in the Asian game. Al Shamal are competing in the AFC Champions League Elite this season, a tournament with which Mahrez is already familiar.

The most notable fixture at the start of his expected new chapter will come against his former club. Al Shamal are due to play Al Ahli on 23 November in the AFC Champions League Elite, creating the first meeting between Mahrez and the Saudi club since his departure.

The match would see Mahrez face the team whose colours he represented from 2023, although this time he would be wearing Al Shamal’s shirt. It would also mark an immediate return to a club and competition that played a significant role in his recent career.

Mahrez’s move to Al Shamal therefore represents both a fresh start and a swift reunion with Al Ahli. Once the remaining transfer formalities are completed, the Algeria international will begin a new spell in the Arab region, with the fixture against his former side already standing out as a key date.