Al Hilal, the current leader of the Saudi league, has considered signing 38-year-old French forward Karim Benzema, who is upset with his current club, Al Ittihad. The move is being contemplated in the event that Marcos Leonardo leaves for Europe. Benzema is close to departing Al Ittihad after a significant disagreement over a potential contract renewal. The situation has escalated.
In December, Benzema told As that he wanted to renew his contract but also did not rule out a potential return to Europe. Benzema, who has 97 caps and 37 goals for France, joined Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid on a free transfer in July 2023, and his current contract expires in June 2026. This season in the Saudi Pro League, he has scored 8 goals in 14 appearances. Transfermarkt estimates his market value to be €6.00m. Reports from January 2026 indicated Beşiktaş was planning to offer €3 million to negotiate a termination of his contract. In addition to Al Hilal, Beşiktaş and Real Madrid have also been linked with the striker.
