Riyad Mahrez Transfer Speculation Intensifies After Al-Shabab Loss

Riyad Mahrez’s future is back on the boil in Saudi Arabia, and this time Al-Shabab are right at the heart of it.

Al-Shabab fell 2-0 to Al-Hilal at the SHG Arena on Friday night in the fifth round of the Roshn League, a result that kept the focus firmly on the pitch – until the final whistle blew. Once it did, attention swung sharply to the tunnel and to club president Abdulaziz Al-Malik.

Pressed on Al-Shabab’s interest in Mahrez during the ongoing summer window, Al-Malik did nothing to cool the talk. Quite the opposite.

“Riyad Mahrez is a big gain for Saudi football and for Al-Shabab, and God willing we will see over the next 48 hours what will happen,” he told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

One line. Forty-eight hours. The transfer conversation exploded again.

Mahrez, 35, has been at the centre of swirling speculation since leaving Al-Ahli at the end of last season, when the club unilaterally terminated his contract a year before it was due to expire. Reports have already linked him with a return to Al-Ahli, while Al-Ittihad are also said to be keen on bringing the Algerian star into their ranks.

His track record in the Kingdom gives every suitor a strong case. Mahrez arrived at Al-Ahli in the summer of 2023 from Manchester City and went on to spend three years in the Saudi league. During that spell he helped the Jeddah club lift two AFC Champions League Elite titles and one Saudi Super Cup, underlining his status as one of the league’s marquee names.

Now, with Al-Shabab coming off a bruising defeat to Al-Hilal and looking for a spark, Al-Malik’s carefully chosen words have thrown them into the race.

Two days. Three clubs circling. One of the league’s most decorated forwards on the market again.

The next 48 hours in Saudi football just became appointment viewing.