Riyad Mahrez leaves Al-Ahli as free agent after contract expiry, market value set at 5m

Riyad Mahrez has officially left Al-Ahli to become a free agent, with the Saudi Pro League club confirming his departure to the Without Club category on 2026-07-04 after his contract ran its course. The move was completed on a free transfer with no fee paid, while the 35-year-old right wingers market value is currently listed at 5.00m.

The Algeria- and France-qualified attacker, who had been registered with Al-Ahli since his switch from Manchester City, is now unattached and eligible to sign for a new side immediately. The transfer is recorded as a standard move from Al-Ahli to Without Club, underlining that his deal in Saudi Arabia has ended rather than being bought out.

Mahrezs exit also means he is no longer tied to the Saudi Pro League and could next surface abroad in any competition, potentially in a league and country not yet specified (listed as N/A in the registration data), rather than in his nations of eligibility, Algeria or France. At 35, and with a current valuation of 5.00m as of the latest update on 2026-06-04, he remains one of the most high-profile free agents on the market.

Born in Clichy on 21 Feb 1991, Mahrez has built a career as a left-footed right winger, primarily operating in attack from the right flank. His preferred role is listed as Attack Right Winger, and he has also been used across the frontline during a journey that has taken him from French amateur and lower-league football to the summit of the European game and then to Saudi Arabia.

The confirmed move to free agency from Al-Ahli is the latest step in a career marked by a steady climb through the club ladder. Mahrez left AAS Sarcelles for Quimper Kerfeunteun FC in 2009-10, moved to AC Le Havre B ahead of the 2010-11 season, and progressed to Le Havre ACs first team from 2011-12. His form in Ligue 2 ultimately earned him a transfer to Leicester City in January 2014, where his market value began to rise sharply.

During his time in England, Mahrezs value increased from 1.2m shortly after his arrival at Leicester to a peak of 50m while still at the club in 2018. A subsequent move to Manchester City in July 2018 coincided with a further climb to 60m, a valuation he maintained through several updates between 2018 and 2019. At City he played in the Premier League, continuing to operate on the right wing in one of Europes most competitive environments.

As age and changing roles took effect, his valuation began to decline gradually, dropping to 48m in 2020, 42m in 2021, 35m and then 30m in 2022, and 20m by mid-2023. After his switch from Manchester City to Al-Ahli on 2023-07-28, Mahrezs market value remained substantial, first at 18m, then 16m, and 12m across 2023 and 2024, before sliding to 9m and 8m during his time in the Saudi Pro League. That figure eventually settled at 5m in the latest assessment.

Algeria- and France-eligible, Mahrez is listed with dual nationality, reflecting his ties to both countries. Although his current national-team status is given simply as Without Club in the registration data, his club resume spans Frances system, Englands top flight with Leicester City and Manchester City, and Saudi Arabias top division with Al-Ahli SFC.

No specific recent match details or seasonal appearance statistics are provided in the current dataset, so the exact on-pitch output of his final campaign in Jeddah is not documented here. However, the step down in market value over the last few updates suggests a natural aging curve rather than a sharp collapse, indicating he still carries perceived value as an experienced wide forward.

With his Al-Ahli contract concluded on 2026-07-04 and no transfer fee involved in his move to free agency, Mahrez now enters a phase of his career where short-term deals and opportunistic moves are likely. Where he signs next, and in which league beyond the current N/A designation, will go a long way to determining how the later years of his career are judged and how long he can remain a 5m-level asset in the global game.