According to Foot Mercato, Karim Benzema has informed Real Madrid that he wants to quit the club at the end of the season. The French striker is rumoured to have received a mammoth offer to join Saudi Arabia side Al Ittihad. Benzema has apparently found the offer too good to turn down and he could be heading to the middle-east, following in the footsteps of his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
The decision from Karim Benzema might come as a surprise since he had reached an agreement with the Los Blancos on a new one-year contract extension in March. However, the deal has yet to be signed, and the Ballon d’Or is now examining his options, which includes a lucrative two-year contract offer to go to Saudi Arabia.
Karim Benzema receives Ronaldo-esque deal from Al-Ittihad
Al Ittihad is said to have recently made a sizable offer Karim Benzema, 35, that would see him earn almost £345 million over a two year contract. Benzema had a contract agreed with Real that would have kept him with the club for another year, but sources indicate that the Frenchman may be getting ready to leave the Santiago Bernabeu as early as Sunday.
According to The Mirror, Benzema is weighing the hefty contract proposal from the Middle Eastern side, who would like to finalise the deal by Thursday. Given that Real Madrid will be playing their final game of the La Liga season at the Bernabeu this weekend against Athletic Bilbao, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner will have time to prepare for his farewell.
Sources add, the offer from the Saudi outfit also includes extra compensation for serving as an ambassador for the nation’s effort to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup as well as housing in a private area; a deal similar to the one that Ronaldo has gotten at Al Nassr. The Portugal international also serves as the face of the middle-east nation’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Al Ittihad, Al Nassr’s fierce rivals and the reigning Saudi Pro League champions do not boast a superstar like Ronaldo, but do have players like Helder Costa, a former star for Leeds and Wolves, and Ahmed Hegazi, a former defender for West Brom, in its ranks. However, they still managed to beat Ronaldo led Al Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title by five points.
Real would be willing to let Karim Benzema go this summer, with the prospect of replacing him with Tottenham’s Harry Kane and manager Carlo Ancelotti outlining the reasons why the club should aim to add a new striker in anticipation of the Frenchman’s departure. At the start of last month, Ancelotti had explained:
“The project for the future for the club is to sign a No. 9, because Karim is the age he is. But Karim is doing very well up until now and while he is in good condition, it’s working very well. It’s true that Karim has had his up and downs, but Rodrygo has progressed, [Marco] Asensio has progressed. But it’s also true to say that in the last two years, the problem has not been the forwards.”