Real Madrid superstar mulling over €200m deal from unnamed Saudi Pro League club - Reports
Real Madrid star Karim Benzema is reportedly mulling over a €200 million per season offer from an unnamed Saudi Arabian side. The Frenchman will become a free agent at the end of the season but the club are confident of keeping him.
As per a report in Relevo, Benzema has received a stunning offer from an unnamed Saudi Pro League side. They are willing to pay him €200 million per season, a deal similar to his former strike partner Cristiano Ronaldo's at Al Nassr.
The striker, who arrived from Lyon in 2009, remains a vital part of Carlo Ancelotti's setup at the Santiago Bernabeu. Reports in ABC suggest the Frenchman has agreed on a one-year extension, but the official confirmation is yet to come out.
Benzema spoke about his role at Real Madrid in a recent interview and claimed that it was changing quickly as football evolves. He told Telefoot:
"The more you think about the game and you respect football, the more goals you'll score, it's that simple. If you only think about scoring, if you come up against two good defenders it's over. Since you can't play football – you can't play one-touch, you can't move, all you have is scoring."
Saudi Arabian sides have been trying to lure some top footballers from Europe over the last few months. Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and more have been linked with a move to the Middle East.
Karim Benzema had two retirement plans - Real Madrid or Lyon
Karim Benzema has been at Real Madrid for 14 years after moving from Lyon. He has played different roles up front but is now heading toward the end of his career.
In a recent media interaction, Benzema was asked about his future plans and the striker claimed he was looking to retire at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was quoted by MARCA as saying:
"I will retire in Real Madrid. There's no other option for me."
However, Benzema has previously claimed that he would be interested in returning to Lyon before calling it quits. He was quoted by L'Equipe as saying:
"I left a good image in Lyon; it has to stay like that. You can't leave, come back. I did what I had to do. Lyon remains my heart club. If I can come back, it will be to work there one day."
Los Blancos expect Benzema to reject the move to Saudi Arabia and pen a new one-year deal at the club, along with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.