Footballer Karim Benzema could move from Real Madrid to Al Ittihad
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Saudi Arabia continues its aggressive policy of luring world superstars into its football league. Following Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved to Al-Nasr in the winter, Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or last year, could be in it. Al-Ittihad made an offer for a contract worth about €400 million over two seasons to the French striker of Real Madrid. In addition, in the spring it became known about the interest of the Saudis in the seven-time winner of the main individual prize in football, Lionel Messi.
The fact that Karim Benzema in the summer with a high degree of probability can move to the club from Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad, was reported by a number of sources – such as ESPNAs, BBC. And according to the radio station Cadena SER, Real Madrid fans are already preparing an action dedicated to farewell to the French striker. It should take place during the match of the final round of the championship of Spain. In it, Real Madrid hosts Athletic on Sunday.
It was at the Madrid club that the biggest and best part of Karim Benzema’s career took place. He ended up at Real Madrid 14 years ago and turned into a top-level striker in it. The culmination of this career was Benzema’s win in 2022, following the Champions League triumph of the Ballon d’Or. After the end of the current season, the player’s contract with Real Madrid expires. Neither the club nor the player’s representatives have yet commented on the issue of its extension.
All media resources covering the story of the possible transition of Karim Benzema, speaking about the striker’s motives for which he seems to be going to give preference to the Saudi option, point primarily to two factors. The first is the physical condition of the 35-year-old veteran. Last season, he still coped well with the pressures that fall to the lot of every key player in Europe’s top club, claiming prizes in several tournaments. In 46 official matches, Benzema scored 44 goals.
At the end of the season, the picture is different.
Karim Benzema suffered from health problems and due to injury missed the World Cup held at the end of 2022 in Qatar. And his statistics look much more modest: the striker has 30 goals in 42 meetings of various competitions.
Moreover, experts agree that if earlier Benzema was the undisputed frontman of Real Madrid’s attack, now he at least shares this role with young partners Vinicius and Rodrigo. At the same time, the Madrid club itself did not perform as well this season as in the one that preceded it. In the Spanish championship, he could not compete for gold with Barcelona, and in the Champions League he retired in the semi-finals, losing to Manchester City without a chance.
The second – and key – factor, of course, is financial. All sources, talking about the terms of the contract offered to Karim Benzema by Al-Ittihad, give approximately the same figures.
We are talking about a colossal sum of €400 million even by the standards of European football giants over two seasons.
In addition, Benzema could become an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s bid for one of the future World Cups when the agreement expires.
The financial parameters of the contract are almost identical to those that forced the winter to go to the An-Nasr club, which is the main competitor of Al-Ittihad, the outstanding Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo. Meanwhile, by inviting the five-time winner of the Golden Ball, Saudi Arabia, which used to lure only “second-tier” celebrities to itself, as it turned out, only opened the hunt for real superstars.
In recent weeks, in the context of a possible move to Saudi Arabia, the names of several players with a chic track record have already been mentioned – such as the Brazilian Neymar, the Spaniards Sergio Ramos and Sergio Busquets. This list also included a player whose track record is even brighter than that of Cristiano Ronaldo – the hero of the Qatari world championship, Lionel Messi, who won the Golden Ball seven times.
In early May, PSG suspended the great Argentinean after his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. Many sources are convinced that her goal was primarily to negotiate a contract with the Al-Hilal club. Moreover, it is considered that promised Messi, the same age as Benzema, is not just a huge, but already literally cosmic salary from €300 million to €600 million a year. True, so far the player’s representatives have not confirmed that if he leaves PSG in the summer, it will be for the sake of Saudi Arabia, and not, for example, his native Barcelona, which is also waiting for the Argentinean.
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