A rival for Ronaldo! Real Madrid star Karim Benzema ‘offered a staggering £345m two-year contract to move to Saudi Arabia’ – earning almost exactly the same as his former team-mate!
- Karim Benzema’s current contract at Real Madrid is set to expire in the summer
- He has a decision over whether to sign a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu
- There is also interest from Saudi Arabia over a move at the end of the season
Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has reportedly been offered a massive £345m two-year deal to join an unnamed Saudi Arabian side this summer.
The 35-year-old’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu is up in the air, as he is yet to sign an extension to his deal which expires this summer.
Despite prior reports in Spain that he is likely to sign a new deal with Los Blancos, the Ballon d’Or winner has still not announced his future with just one game left to play this season.
Spanish outlet AS Sport have now reported that Benzema has been offered a €400m (£345m) deal over two years to make the switch to Saudi Arabia and end his legendary 14-year stint in Madrid.
It’s a deal that would effectively match Cristiano Ronaldo’s current £173m-per-year deal at Al-Nassr.
Karim Benzema ‘has been offered a £345m two year deal’ from an unnamed Saudi Arabian side
Benzema has a decision to make over whether to stay at Real Madrid or follow former team mate Cristiano Ronaldo (right) into making a switch to the Saudi Pro League this summer
Benzema has been ‘offered the chance to become an ambassador for the 2030 World Cup’ should Saudi Arabia stage the tournament
It’s claimed that the signing of Benzema would help with the country’s strategy of landing the 2030 World Cup – and that the Frenchman could become an ambassador for the competition.
Benzema would likely earn a large amount of money if he was to take up an ambassadorial role for the competition if they win the bidding rights – in a tournament which would be jointly held with Turkey and Greece.
The signing of Ronaldo is described by AS Sports as the ‘first piece of the puzzle’ towards landing the competition, while Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi could also be on his way to Saudi Arabia this summer.
Benzema has had a hit-and-miss season on the field for Real as they won just one of the three trophies they competed for – as well as the Club World Cup – only lifting the Copa del Rey in what was a disappointing year.
Los Blancos missed out to Barcelona in the LaLiga title race, while they were eliminated by Manchester City in the semi-final of the Champions League.
The Frenchman signed for Madrid in 2009 from Lyon, and has gone onto achieve countless accolades in the Spanish capital.
After winning the Ballon d’Or in 2022, he managed just 23 league games this term, although he still netted 18 times as Madrid fell short.
In total, he has scored more than 350 goals for Madrid in more than 600 games since his £25million move 14 years ago.
Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia this season while Lionel Messi (right) is the subject of speculation over a move this summer
Karim Benzema turned to vacuum therapy again as he bids to extend his trophy-laden career
The 35-year-old finished the season with a gruesome cut on his foot that required stitches
Benzema finished the season with a gruesome cut on his foot that required stitches.
He provided an update on Monday with suction devices on his foot to gently heal the wound and also on his back to repair muscle.
He posted a picture on Instagram with the message: ‘Thank you, until next time.’
Real Madrid fans hope that means he could be staying despite a mega-money offer join the Saudi Pro League this summer.
Messi, meanwhile, was suspended by PSG earlier this month for taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, where he serves as an ambassador for the country’s tourist board.
Despite Barcelona’s interest in re-signing their greatest player of all time, the Argentine World Cup winner will have a decision to make over whether he too makes a move to Saudi Arabia.
Manager Xavi has now admitted that he is in touch with Messi over such a blockbuster move and already devising tactical plans that include the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, having guided Barcelona back to the summit of LaLiga this season.
‘I told the president that Messi return makes sense,’ Xavi told Catalan publication Sport. ‘No doubts at all, he is perfect for our system and idea. I’ve the tactical plan in mind with Leo.
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