Karim Benzema opens the door to Real Madrid return | OneFootball

Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has teased the possibility of returning to the club.

After a successful 14-year spell in Madrid during which he scored 354 times in 648 outings across all competitions, the Frenchman joined Al-Ittihad in July 2023.

Benzema led his current employers to domestic glory last season with 21 goals in 29 matches, the third-most in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) behind Cristiano Ronaldo (25) and Ivan Toney (23).

However, he could be on his way out of the Middle East this summer, when his current contract is due to expire.

Speaking in a recent interview with Spanish outlet AS (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Benzema revealed that he is open to returning, albeit with a condition attached related to the club president.

“If Florentino (Perez) is still there, it could happen,” Benzema said.

“I talk to him, and it could happen. I’m a Madridista. I feel it inside. Madrid is still my city, I feel like a Madridista and a Madrileno.

“We’ll see what happens if he’s still there. He’s someone I can never say no to – Florentino is special.”

In the meantime, Benzema will be hoping to help Al-Ittihad get their title defence back on track following a disastrous start, which has seen them pick up just 11 points from a possible 24.

This led to the dismissal of Laurent Blanc earlier this term, but the appointment of Sergio Conceicao has not had the desired impact for the reigning SPL champions.