Riyad Mahrez remains without a club as the summer transfer window enters its final days. Weeks after his shock exit from Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia, the Algerian star is still searching for an agreement, and his departure stunned both the player and the fans of "Al-Raqi".
According to the Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, Mahrez has not yet settled on his next destination, despite links to a number of clubs in Europe and the Arab world. The questions over his future have only grown, and some have even floated the possibility of retirement while he sits without a club.
Al-Ahli had ended their contractual relationship with Mahrez at the close of last season, drawing a line under three years together.
Saudi press reports say the decision formed part of a plan to rebuild the side technically, taken despite the player's own desire to stay.
Mahrez made his mark during that spell. He played 122 matches, scoring 37 goals and providing 50 assists, and helped Al-Ahli win the AFC Champions League Elite in 2025 and 2026 as well as the Saudi Super Cup in 2025.
According to Arriyadiyah, press reports have tied the former Algeria captain to a move to Italy, pointing to interest from Roma and Milan. No negotiations have reached a decisive stage so far, with the Italian window nearing its close.
Wydad of Morocco also entered the picture, but the player brushed the talk aside indirectly on his official account on the "X" platform. He posted a symbol suggesting the reports of a switch to the Moroccan club were untrue.
Al-Jazira of the UAE made an offer to sign Mahrez, Arriyadiyah explained, only for the deal to stall when the team failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite after losing to Al-Ittihad. That left the player to bide his time rather than settle his future.
Reports in the Algerian press have raised the prospect of a move to Abha, newly promoted to the Saudi Roshn League. Neither the player nor the club has confirmed anything so far.
Nothing official points to Mahrez intending to retire. Yet his continued lack of a club, with the window closing soon, has thrown the door open to plenty of speculation about where he goes next.
His retirement from international football after the 2026 World Cup with Algeria only sharpens those questions. The 35-year-old still hasn't chosen his next destination, which makes a move to a new club the likeliest outcome, with the final days of the window set to decide it.
You can discuss topics and news in more depth on the "Kooora" forums