Karim Benzema is likely to make a return to European football, with big names like Real Madrid and Manchester United reportedly considering a loan deal for the Frenchman for the rest of the season.
Benzema capped off his decorated stint with Real Madrid last summer to join Al-Itiihad. His relationship with the Saudi Pro League outfit is understood to have turned sour following a 5-2 loss to Al-Nassr in December last year.
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Benzema even had to shut down his social media accounts as a large section of the Al-Ittihad fans blamed him for the defeat. Having signed for Al-Ittihad in July 2023, the 36-year-old has netted 15 goals for the Saudi club so far.
Earlier, a Saudi media report had claimed that Benzema left Jeddah without informing the club officials after the game against Al-Nassr. He reportedly did not even feature in a few training sessions last week.
As per Marca, his behaviour has irked Al-Itiihad boss Marcelo Gallardo, who has axed Benzema from the squad for a mid-season trip to Dubai this month.
According to a report by Fichajes, Benzema is adamant to leave Saudi Arabia this month.
Apart from Real Madrid and Manchester United, Benzema’s former club Lyon is also interested in bringing him back on a loan move.
A seven-time French champion, Lyon have shockingly emerged as a relegation-threatened side following a string of poor performances this season. They currently hold the 16th spot in the Ligue 1 standings with 16 points to their name, only above Clermont Foot and Lorient.
During his previous four-season spell with Lyon, Benzema made 148 appearances across all competitions, scoring 66 goals and providing 27 assists.
He spent as many as 14 seasons with Real Madrid and scored 354 goals across competitions.
Manchester United roped in Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta last year. The 20-year-old striker has yet to match the hype.
Since shifting his base to Old Trafford, Hojlund has registered seven goals in 25 games across all competitions.
If Manchester United manage to secure a loan deal for Benzema, it will undoubtedly bolster the attacking unit of the Erik Ten Hag-coached side, who are now seventh in the Premier League standings.
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