Karim Benzema has addressed the rumours of a return to European club football. With the winter transfer window inching towards its closure, speculations are rife about the potential transfer of the French forward. Benzema ended his long, successful spell with Real Madrid this summer and signed a lucrative deal with Al-Ittihad, following in the footsteps of superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. As per his current contract with the Saudi Pro League side, Benzema is slated to stay in the Middle East till 2026.
Upon his arrival, Benzema was immediately named the captain of Al-Ittihad. His relationship with the Saudi club has reportedly deteriorated in recent times. After Al-Ittihad suffered a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr last month, Benzema received harsh criticism. As fans went on to post derogatory remarks on the internet, the footballer had to close his social media accounts.
Following the incident, Benzema had reportedly left Jeddah without informing the club officials. He also had not turned up in several practice sessions and his behaviour didn’t do down well with Al-Ittihad boss Marcelo Gallardo. Benzema finally rejoined the squad for the winter training 17 days after the scheduled date.
Many assumed that the French international might decide to end his tie with Al-Ittihad, with European giants like Manchester United, Lyon, Chelsea and Arsenal rumoured to be interested in the veteran striker. Benzema hit back at those claims during a recent interaction with L’Equipe and lashed out at the French media for spreading false news. Referring to the reports of his potential move, the 36-year-old said, “It’s completely false! The French media don’t know what to invent any more. The bigger the better.”
Earlier a report by The Athletic claimed that his former club Lyon were exploring a deal to bring Benzema back to his homeland. His hefty wage structure might have become an obstacle. The outlet further added that the forward, however, had not informed the Al-Ittihad hierarchy anything about his intention to leave the club.
Benzema is expected to return to action when his team take on Al Faisaly in the quarter-final of the King Cup of Champions on February 4.
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