According to The Athletic, Karim Benzema (35) is set to leave Real Madrid after spending 14 successful years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 35-year-old has received a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, a proposal that Madrid has been aware of for several days. Sources from Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground revealed that Benzema and head coach Carlo Ancelotti had an meeting on Wednesday, leading to speculation about the player’s future.
Despite recently renewing his contract until June 2024, Madrid has reportedly not stood in Benzema’s way. Additionally, Benzema has reportedly expressed his wish for one of the club’s physios to join him in Saudi Arabia
The current holder of the Ballon D’Or has reportedly been tempted by this opportunity for several weeks, which prompted discussions with the Madrid hierarchy. In the unexpected meeting between Benzema and Carlo Ancelotti, it became apparent that the player’s departure was imminent, unless the club’s board could convince him to stay.
Karim Benzema joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2009 for an initial fee of £30 million. Over his 14-year tenure, he has established himself as one of the club’s all-time greats. With 353 goals in 647 games, he is currently Madrid’s second-highest goal scorer of all time, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo. He is currently France’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League, the all-time top scorer in all competitions and the fifth-highest scorer in the history of the French national team.
GFFN | George Boxall
