Riyad Mahrez said in an interview that Leicester City blocked his move to Arsenal after their 2016 title win. He claimed the refusal cost him two years at the very highest level.
City signed him in July 2018 for a reported £60m. He won a Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup treble in his first season.
The two clubs had already clashed over him that January. A deadline-day move to City collapsed when Leicester set a £95m price tag and City refused to pay more than £60m.
In an interview with France Football in 2019 in 2019, Mahrez said his agent had spoken to Arsene Wenger, who really wanted to sign him.
“It was nearly all done with Arsenal in 2016,” he said.
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“Leicester blocked me,” Mahrez said, adding that the club told him he could not leave. He said he could have reached Manchester City at 24 or 25, rather than 27.
His account in 2016 was different. He told Canal+ at the time that Arsenal did not want to enter a conflict with Leicester, and that staying was a good thing for him.
Riyad Mahrez left City for Saudi club Al-Ahli in July 2023, in a deal worth up to £30m. He had won 11 major trophies at the Etihad. He helped Al-Ahli win two AFC Champions League Elite titles.
Al-Ahli announced on 4 July 2026 that his contract had been terminated early, with a year still to run.
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The announcement came days after he retired from international football, following Algeria’s 2-0 World Cup defeat to Switzerland in the round of 32. He finished with 40 goals in 119 caps for Algeria.
Mahrez is now set to continue his career in Qatar. The 35-year-old arrived in Doha on 5 October to complete a free transfer to Al Shamal, who finished second in the Qatar Stars League last season.
He was due to take a medical on 6 October before signing a one-year deal.
He will join fellow Algerians Baghdad Bounedjah, Omar Rafik and Nassim Ben Aissa at the club.
