In difficulty at Al-Ittihad, Karim Benzema could already have a change of scenery and bounce back at… Al-Nassr, where his former teammate at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo, plays.
Saudi Arabia continues to surprise us. After having attracted (hundreds) of millions of dollars some of the biggest stars on the football planet, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar Jr. and Sadio Mané, the Saudi Pro League could soon innovate in terms of transfer. And “KB9” would be the main one concerned.
In great difficulty since joining Al-Ittihad last summer, the French striker has reportedly expressed his desire to leave “temporarily” the club based in Jeddah, according to AFP – a version denied by the player’s entourage. But with the kingdom of the Arabian Peninsula not intending to let him slip away, the “Nueve” could be loaned to… another Saudi club.
Benzema from Jeddah to Riyadh?
According to The Team, discussions are thus underway to try to send the former number 9 of Real Madrid to another team in the championship, located in Riyadh this time, whose name has not yet been leaked. It is there that the current first and second of SPL, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, play, where Neymar Jr. and Cristiano Ronaldo are respectively under contract.
If Al-Ittihad has not yet given its agreement for this transaction, it is likely that its leaders will not oppose it since the club is controlled by the PIF, the Saudi sovereign fund, which wants to do everything so that the 2022 Ballon d’Or is happy and wants to stay in the Gulf. For local authorities, it is above all a question of image.
Benzema with Ronaldo, like in the good old days?
Just seven months after his arrival, a hasty return of the 36-year-old striker to Europe, where several big names would be ready to welcome him, would indeed leave a mark. It remains to be seen whether Karim Benzema will reunite with his former teammate “CR7” at Al-Nassr, with whom he won everything in the Merengue jersey. For Saudi Arabia, this would be a huge marketing coup.
Or if he will instead replace “Ney” at Al-Hilal. Bought for 90 million euros from PSG, the Brazilian saw his season come to a sudden end in October, due to a rupture of the cruciate ligament in his left knee. Which does not prevent Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic and their teammates from occupying the lead in the championship without him.
