Karim Benzema to Lyon? Ligue 1 Club Eyes Ex-Real Madrid Icon as Potential Signing After His Failed Saudi League Stint

French superstar Karim Benzema has taken center stage in the transfer market since word got out that his blockbuster deal with Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad has gone awry. Big European clubs and MLS clubs are reportedly trying to poach Al Ittihad for the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner. Now, the prodigal son could potentially return to France’s Lyon where he started his impressive club career.

According to transfer expert Ekrem Konur, Ligue 1’s Lyon has opened talks with Karim Benzema. Konur added on X that Lyon sees the move as plausible considering the Frenchman has no personal problems with returning home. Remember, Benzema joined Lyon as a nine-year-old and later debuted for the senior team, where he won three titles. However, Al Ittihad is not willing to let go of their marquee for free in the ongoing transfer window.

Despite Karim Benzema ending on sour terms with Al Ittihad, the club insists on talking the situation out with him. Al Ittihad is one of the four clubs owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Per prior reports, Benzema might also be allowed to play for some other PIF-owned club, if not Al Ittihad. This is perhaps because Benzema signed a three-year deal that is north of $200 million with the Dammam-based outfit. Anyhow, the final verdict about Karim Benzema’s future will only be known after the meetings as mentioned earlier.

What has gone wrong for Karim Benzema at Al Ittihad?

Karim Benzema is yet to officially ask out of his contract at Al Ittihad. However, things turned sour for the five-time Champions League winner because of intense fan fury and severe media scrutiny. Despite scoring 12 times in 20 appearances, critics have been calling Benzema out. Al Ittihad currently sits seventh in the Saudi League table, after coming off a league victory in the last season. Amid this vitriol, Benzema left Al Ittihad camp for a vacation in Mauritius without permission from the club’s officials. Making things worse, the player reported back for training 17 days late.

READ MORE: Chelsea ‘Desperately Need’ Karim Benzema as Ex-Real Madrid Star Deemed a ‘Natural Fit’ for the Blues

At this juncture, Benzema is expected to follow Jordan Henderon’s suit and return to Europe. Rumors heavily link him to the Premier League powerhouse Chelsea. But the Frenchman is more likely to return to and retire at the club where it all started. Nevertheless, the ex-Real Madrid star will have to take a massive pay cut if he chooses his boyhood club as an escape.

Financial constraints have long marred Lyon. They have failed to sign top players but continued to sell key players and academy prospects. Therefore, fans will indeed have to go through a long wait to find out if Karim Benzema will return to his boyhood club. Meanwhile, a move to a non-Lyon club and a stay at a Saudi club continues to be on the cards for the Frenchman.

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