Karim Benzema ‘to decide’ Saudi future as Lyon return blocked | OneFootball

Karim Benzema’s immediate future remains bound to Saudi Arabia, with a report claiming that despite a mutual termination with Al-Hilal seven months after his arrival, he does not have full freedom over his next move.

Marca states that a summer return to Olympique Lyon proved impossible, with the striker tied by contract to the Saudi Pro League until 2030.

Lyon’s sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean said: "It is true that there was contact with Benzema through an intermediary this summer, but the matter was impossible because his contractual situation prevented it. Karim is an exceptional player, and we were looking for a striker, but we could not complete anything."

The situation stems from Al-Hilal’s squad planning, with the club investing more than 200 million on reinforcements. Martinelli, Somerville and Watkins arrived among headline additions, joining foreign players such as Yassine Bounou, Theo Hernandez, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves. Benzema was then told he would not be registered for the domestic league, restricted to the AFC Champions League.

Those factors accelerated an agreement to part, even though on 21 August Benzema insisted he would stay with Al-Hilal. Al-Shabab showed interest before the termination, while a return to Al-Ittihad was also considered. He is without a team, Lyon remains his preference, and the coming days will decide whether he resolves his situation, signs for another Saudi club or retires.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”