Riyad Mahrez linked with move to Brazil after Asian Champions League win
Riyad Mahrez is reportedly set to leave Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ahli for a move to Brazil, according to sources following the Asian football scene. The news emerges fresh off the Algerian winger's pivotal role in Al-Ahli's successful defense of the AFC Champions League title on Friday. The club from Jeddah secured a 1-0 victory over Japan's Machida Zelvia in the final, with the winning goal, scored by Firas Al-Buraikan in the 96th minute, created by an assist from Mahrez.
The reported move to a Brazilian club, the identity of which remains undisclosed, would represent a significant and unexpected career shift for the 35-year-old. The motivation, as cited by sources, is Mahrez's ambition to win a major continental championship on a third different continent, having already lifted the Premier League in Europe and the AFC Champions League in Asia. This potential transfer would mark a new chapter for a player whose career has been defined by high-profile moves, most notably his £60 million transfer from Leicester City to Manchester City in 2018.
Mahrez's potential departure comes at a moment of triumph for Al-Ahli's project. The Saudi club's victory was built on a core of former Ligue 1 players, including goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, midfielder Enzo Millot, and Mahrez himself. Their experience proved decisive against a spirited Machida Zelvia side, a club from the Tokyo suburbs participating in the competition for the first time after only gaining promotion to Japan's top flight in 2023. Machida had previously eliminated another Saudi giant, Al-Ittihad, in the quarter-finals.
For Al-Ahli, losing a marquee name and creative force like Mahrez so soon after a continental triumph would be a blow, but it aligns with the evolving strategy of the Saudi Pro League. The league's initial wave of high-profile, aging superstars is gradually giving way to a focus on younger talents, as symbolized by the presence of players like the 22-year-old Millot in the Al-Ahli squad. The club would now face the task of replacing Mahrez's output and star power in the upcoming transfer window.
The move to Brazil, if completed, would be a historic one. While South America has seen an influx of players from Europe in recent years, a direct transfer of a player of Mahrez's stature and salary from the Saudi league to a Brazilian club is virtually unprecedented. It would test the financial muscle of the Brazilian market and offer Mahrez a unique final challenge in his decorated career. For now, the focus remains on his achievement in Saudi Arabia, where he has added another major trophy to his collection, even as speculation about his next destination intensifies.
