Karim Benzema wants Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate to join him at Al-Ittihad: Reports
Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema reportedly wants Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate Sadio Mane to join him. Mane has been with the Knights of Najf since last summer, arriving from Bayern Munich.
In his first full season with the Saudi Pro League giants, the former Liverpool winger registered 19 goals and 11 assists in 49 games across competitions. Most of those goal contributions - 13 goals and eight assists in 32 games - came in the league, where Luis Castro's side finished second for the second straight year.
Mane is contracted to the Mrsool Park outfit till 2026, but 2022-23 Saudi Pro League winners Al-Ittihad - as per GiveMeSport's Ben Jacobs - are 'pushing' to snap up the player.
While discussions are ongoing, Benzema has reportedly told his club that Mane's arrival would help them challenge for the league again after the holders finished a disappointing fifth last season despite Benzema's arrival.
Benzema had a disappointing debut season in the Kingdom. In 29 games across competitions, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner registered 13 goals and eight assists in 29 games.
Meanwhile, his former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo enjoyed a prolific 44-goal season for Al-Nassr, including a record 35 strikes in the league. However, his team fell short in the league title race to Al-Hilal, who also beat them in the King's Cup.
How Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema fared together at Real Madrid
Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a hugely successful near decade-long stint together at the Real Madrid after the duo arrived in the Spanish capital in the summer of 2009.
In nine seasons together, the duo played together 342 times, registering an impressive 76 goal contributions. Ronaldo scored 47 of these goals, while Benzema netted 29.
The legendary Los Blancos pair helped the club to two La Liga and four UEFA Champions League - including an unprecedented three on the trot - titles. Ronaldo ended his prolific stint at the Santiago Bernabeu with an astounding 450 goals in 438 games across competitions.
Meanwhile, Benzema - who had also arrived at the Bernabeu with Ronaldo in 2009 - doing so from Olympique Lyon - stayed on for five more seasons and won two more La Liga and one UEFA Champions League title.
Benzema eventually concluded his Los Blancos stint with an impressive 354 strikes in 648 games across competitions 14 seasons before joining Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League last summer.