Karim Benzema is set to leave Real Madrid following the expiry of his contract this month and move to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Ittihad, according to ESPN.
The Frenchman was offered a two-year deal worth €400 million to move to Saudi Arabia in January, ESPN had reported earlier.
It is worth noting that this was the same offer made to Benzema's long-time Madrid colleague Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi side Al-Nassr from Manchester United in a blockbuster move in the 2022-23 season.
Benzema has spent the last 14 years of his career at Real Madrid, winning a plethora of individual and team accolades. The 35-year-old has won five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles, three Copa Del Rey trophies and the 2022 Ballon d'Or among a host of honors.
He also formed a prolific partnership with Ronaldo and Welsh forward Gareth Bale, with the trio dubbed "BBC."
Benzema was expected to stay in the Spanish capital until June 2024, but seems to have changed his mind. Real Madrid have reportedly been looking at replacements and reinforcements in attack.
However, Benzema did not pay heed to the rumors when attending a ceremony to collect the Marca Legends award on Thursday, instead speaking about his time at the storied club when asked about his future.
"Why do I need to talk about my future? I am at Real Madrid. Not everything that you read on the internet is reality," Benzema said. "For the time being I'm here. I'm enjoying my time. There is a game on Saturday, and I train tomorrow.
"I was a child when I arrived at Real Madrid, I was 21 years old. I just wanted to enjoy myself and look at all that I have won. There is no other club like Real Madrid, playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, the place where the greatest of this sport have played.
"I'm very proud of my career."
Benzema joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2009 in a big-money move as one of the brightest young prospects in European football. If his time at the club is indeed up, he leaves as their second-highest goal scorer, with 24 trophies to his name.
While his career at Real Madrid is nothing short of legendary, Benzema's current season has been plagued by injury issues. The Frenchman missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar due to a hamstring niggle and retired from international football after France lost in the final to Argentina.
However, he has still managed a haul of 30 goals in 42 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions, showcasing his prowess as one of the top strikers in world football.
