Karim Benzema reportedly set to join Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr amidst fall out with Al-Ittihad

Karim Benzema might just be kicking ball with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr at the end of this transfer window.

Karim Benzema reportedly set to join Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr amidst fall out with Al-Ittihad

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema played together at Real Madrid from 2009 to 2018 (Via X/@brfootball & Cristiano)

Days after shutting down rumors that Karim Benzema is plotting a move away from Al-Ittihad, another report has once again fuelled the prospect of his departure. There are reports of a potential fallout between the player and club, with head coach Marcelo Gallardo ‘freezing out’ the veteran striker from the starting line-up. As per recent reports, Karim Benzema may join former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr!

Benzema and Ronaldo played together in Madrid from 2009 to 2018, a period which saw them lift several titles including 4 UEFA Champions Leagues. Even though Benzema was initially linked with a return to Europe (Manchester United in particular), the club clarified that they were in no position financially to complete the move.

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While Al-Ittihad is okay with letting the player leave on a temporary deal, they will only permit him to do so within the Saudi Pro League. News broke that the ‘dissatisfied’ player held talks with a Riyadh-based club, adding to the rumors that he may end up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr before the close of the January transfer window. Besides Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal has also shown interest in the player.

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Benzema’s Saudi experiment – What went wrong?

Karim Benzema shocked the footballing community when Real Madrid announced his departure in 2023. The Frenchman became one of the biggest stars after Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Saudi Pro League and added fuel to the ‘Saudi project’. However, fast-forward 12 months into his move, several ‘problems’ have surfaced, with a few pointing to his dissatisfaction at the club.

Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema joined Al-Ittihad at the start of the 2023/23 season (Via X/@goal)

Months ago, news broke that the Al-Ittihad #9 had missed the club’s mid-season training camp without prior permission. This has now happened for a second time, once in late December and then in January after the league resumed after a long break. This has also forced club manager Marcelo Gallardo to eliminate him from the squad traveling to Dubai.

His spat with former club manager Nuno Espirito Santo was also well recorded. The clash culminated in the managers sacking back in November. There is a consensus that Benzema has not lived up to his expectations at the club, with his performances often being a shadow of his former self. Whether his decision to leave comes due to prolonged disillusionment or personal reasons remains to be seen.

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