Benzema’s latest star leaves Saudi Arabia? Chelsea & Man Utd among interested clubs
Things are not going well for Karim Benzema at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad . Despite scoring 9 goals in 15 league matches since moving to Saudi Arabia, Benzema is said to be in a clear decline in form. Benzema failed to score in his last two SPL matches and returned 17 days late from the winter break due to a storm in Mauritius that left him stranded.
With Benzema arriving late, coach Marcelo Gallardo removed the striker from the Dubai training camp. That has sparked a series of rumors that Benzema could become the latest famous player to leave Saudi Arabia and seek to return to Europe after Jordan Henderson was forced to move from Al-Ettifaq to Ajax back in the day. in the first day of this month . According to L’Equipe newspaper, Benzema asked for permission to leave Al-Ittihad as soon as possible.
Al-Ittihad, one of four clubs owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, signed Benzema on a free transfer from Real Madrid last summer. Benzema’s contract will run until 2026 and bring him 100 million euros per season. Signing the star striker is one of many high-profile transfers the club have made since the PIF takeover. In addition to wages, Al-Ittihad spent 120 million euros on new players this season , but after matchday 17, the Jeddah-based club are only seventh, behind leaders Al-Hilal 25 points.
Despite the obvious difficulties – Benzema remains a force in Saudi Arabia
“When you get used to a certain level [of performance] and your results are a little less good at a certain point, people will immediately say that’s the end of your career ,” Benzema’s lawyer Hugues Vigier told French channel RMC when asked about Benzema’s current struggle in Saudi Arabia. Before adding: “We saw him rise from the ashes. If you remember, he didn’t play much when he arrived at Real Madrid, but he became a truly essential player. And he has worse moments and better moments; every athlete is like that.”
With Cristiano Ronaldo: The most valuable players in the Saudi Pro League
Benzema has always been a mysterious figure at Real Madrid. Always overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema began to become Real’s top striker after the Portuguese superstar left Juventus in 2018. In the next 5 seasons, Benzema scored 21, 21, 23, 27 and then 19 goals in LaLiga. In the 2021/22 campaign, Benzema also scored 15 goals in 12 matches in the Champions League, leading Real Madrid to their 5th title since he arrived at the club. Benzema later won the Ballon d’Or and despite being over 34 at the time, his market value increased to €35 million – a rarity for a player in his mid-30s.
It’s been a remarkable rise for a player many considered past his prime. Now, Benzema once again faces a crossroads in his career. But is he really in trouble in Saudi? A quick look at Benzema’s statistics shows that this is not a simple answer. The 36-year-old is sixth in overall points ( overview ). According to Wyscout, Benzema ranks fourth with 3.24 shots on target per 90 minutes and ranks sixth with 4.89 touches in the penalty area. Additionally, his xG of 0.86 per 90 minutes ranks him third in the league behind only Aleksandar Mitrovic and Cristiano Ronaldo , suggesting that Benzema’s scoring rate is definitely up from 0.57 goals per 90 minutes his present.
Benzema returns to Europe – Olympique Lyon or Premier League?
Indeed, 0.57 goals/90 minutes is still an excellent rate for the 36-year-old striker. A ratio that can improve significantly if surrounded by better players in a more cohesive system. The stats could make Benzema a great short-term option for a club like Manchester United or Chelsea looking for a classic number 9 who is guaranteed to score at least every second of the game. The question is, what does Benzema want?
After all, the Frenchman has always been linked with a return to his youth team, Olympique Lyon. Benzema’s lawyer, Vigier, told RMC: “I have to say I will be happy to see him return to play at Lyon; I would love that… but he hasn’t told me that yet.” It would be romantic to see Benzema end his career with OL. But can they afford this striker? Could the prospect of playing for more money in the Premier League delay a return? And what about his contract in Saudi Arabia? What are those things? Questions to ponder for both Benzema and his club, Al-Ittihad, as Europe slowly but surely moves towards the end of the January transfer window.
