Star striker Karim Benzema is moving to league leaders Al-Hilal within the Saudi league after a dispute with his previous club Al-Ittihad. This was announced by the frontrunner from the capital Riyadh.
There had previously been differences between the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner and Al-Ittihad in negotiations for a new contract, as the AFP news agency reported. Both clubs are majority owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF.
At Al-Hilal, where he will play alongside Theo Hernández and Darwin Núnez, among others, Benzema received a one and a half year contract. The five-time Champions League winner moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023, and the now 38-year-old scored 54 goals in 83 games for Al-Ittihad.
Despite half a year remaining on the contract, according to media reports, Al-Hilal will pay Al-Ittihad 25 million euros for Benzema. No player aged 36 or older has ever been more expensive. The previous record was 17 million euros, which Manchester United transferred to Juventus Turin for the then 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.
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