Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that forward Karim Benzema will sign a 2-year contract with the option to extend for an additional year with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad. Benzema's signing marks a swift progression in the deal, just a few days after Real Madrid announced the departure of the 35-year-old striker, who had been with the club for 14 seasons. In the Gulf region, Benzema will become a rival to his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al-Nassr.
Apart from Benzema, another Saudi Arabian team, Al-Hilal, is vigorously attempting to lure Lionel Messi. High-ranking officials from Al-Hilal have flown to France in an effort to reach an agreement with Messi, following his final match for PSG over the weekend.
The Saudi Arabian delegation plans to meet with Jorge Messi, the father and representative of Lionel Messi, with the goal of finalizing the contract as soon as possible, according to sources revealed to AFP on Sunday (May 4th).
Returning to Benzema's case, he joined Real Madrid in 2009 from Lyon and became a legend for the club. Benzema has made a total of 647 appearances for Los Blancos, ranking second on the club's all-time top scorer list with 354 goals, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (450).
During his time at Real, Benzema has won 5 Champions League titles, 4 La Liga titles, and 3 Copa del Rey trophies. He is currently the reigning Ballon d'Or holder. However, after a stellar 2021/22 season that led Real to the Champions League victory, persistent injuries have hindered Benzema's performance. He even missed out on the 2022 World Cup due to a thigh problem.
