Benzema moves to Saudi Pro League
"Benzema has signed a document to join Al Ittihad," transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported on June 5. "The contract is valid until 2025 with an option for a one-year extension."
According to Marca (Spain), Al Ittihad will pay Benzema many times the $ 10 million salary that the French striker receives at Real in 2022.
On June 4, Real announced the farewell to Benzema. The two sides agreed to terminate the contract one year early, creating conditions for the 35-year-old striker to leave on a free transfer. "We cannot be happy about Benzema's farewell, but we must respect him," said coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Benzema ended his career at Real as the second-highest goalscorer in the club's history, with 354 goals - just 450 goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo. With Real, Benzema won four La Liga, three King's Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, five Champions Leagues, four European Super Cups and five FIFA Club World Cups. In 2022, Benzema won the Ballon d'Or for the first time.
Al Ittihad just won the Saudi Pro League. Benzema's future club owns 72 points after 30 games, five points ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr.
Thanks to the arrival of Ronaldo since last summer, the Saudi Pro League has become more attractive. Currently, the former champion team Al Hilal is also said to be pursuing Lionel Messi. According to the Guardian (UK), this club is willing to give Messi an income of more than $ 400 million per year, including salary, bonus and promotion, twice the rate of Ronaldo. But the Argentine striker did not agree.
On the evening of June 5, Messi's father, Jorge, said his son's priority was to return to Barca. Messi will only go to Al Hilal, or to the US to play for Inter, if the transfer to Barca falls apart. Before that, he had expired his two-year contract with PSG.