Benzema signed a three-year contract with the Saudi Arabian champions and will wear the number nine jersey after finishing a trophy-laden 14 years at Real this week.
Ballon d’Or champ Karim Benzema turned into the most recent large name player to go to Saudi Arabia as he joined Al Ittihad as a free specialist, the club said on Tuesday, after the French striker’s takeoff from Genuine Madrid.
Benzema signed a three-year contract with the Saudi Arabian champions and will wear the number nine jersey after finishing a trophy-laden 14 years at Real this week.
The time seems to be right for a fresh challenge and endeavour. The midfielder expressed his excitement, saying, “I am excited to join my new teammates and work with them to advance this incredible club and the game in Saudi Arabia.”
The time seems to be right for a fresh challenge and endeavour.
After Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al Nassr in December worth more than 200 million euros (213.78 million dollars), Benzema joins his former Real teammate in the Gulf country.
Having joined Genuinely in 2009 from Olympique Lyonnais. Benzema turned into the lead of the club’s assault after Ronaldo left to Juventus in 2018. Winning the Heroes Association multiple times and the LaLiga title multiple times.
He had his best season with Real in 2021-2022. Scoring 44 goals in all competitions to help the club win the LaLiga title and a record-extending 14th European title.
After falling out of favor due to his alleged involvement in the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape scandal. He was recalled to the national team for the first time in six years by France manager Didier Deschamps early in 2021.
After a 2022-23 season in which he struggled with injuries and did not make France’s World Cup squad in Qatar. The 35-year-old looked set to stay at the Spanish club for one more year.
However, the striker decided to exercise the one-year extension clause in his contract. After receiving an offer from Saudi Arabia that was estimated by media to be worth more than 100 million euros.
As a result, he rethought his decision to remain in Spain for one more season.
For the first time since 2009, Al-Ittihad won the Saudi Pro League title last month.
HUGE FIRST STEP FOR SAUDI FOOTBALL Last week. Portuguese forward Ronaldo stated that he hoped that other well-known players would follow in his footsteps and enter the league.
According to a statement from Al Ittihad, “Benzema’s arrival is the most impactful transfer in the club’s history to date.”
Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina and Ronaldo’s competition for the honour of finest player of his generation.
Received an official offer to play for Al-Hilal next season, a source close to Messi told Reuters last month. In recent weeks, a number of well-known athletes have been connected to moves to Saudi Arabia.
Anmar Alhailae, the club president of Al Ittihad, praised Benzema’s signing as a major victory for the team. Stating that “Karim is a worldwide football symbol, he’s film industry.
“He travels to a country with lofty goals both on and off the pitch and joins a squad and league that are extremely competitive. This is especially true when he is at the peak of his abilities.