Karim Benzema’s Saudi future uncertain after Al Hilal exit, Spanish report says

Karim Benzema remains tied to Saudi Arabia despite ending his contract with Al Hilal by mutual agreement after only seven months, according to Spanish newspaper Marca. The former France striker is now a free agent, but his contractual obligations to the Saudi Pro League are reportedly preventing him from choosing his next club without restriction.

Benzema had hoped to return to Olympique Lyonnais, the club where he developed and began his professional career. However, that move was considered impossible during the summer transfer window because his agreement with the Saudi Pro League remains in place until 2030.

Lyon sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean confirmed that the French club had explored the possibility of signing the 37-year-old.

“It’s true that there was contact with Benzema through an intermediary this summer, but it was impossible because his contractual situation prevented it. Karim is an exceptional player, and we were looking for a striker, but we were unable to complete anything,” Louis-Jean said.

The situation is linked to Al Hilal’s recruitment plans. The Saudi club invested more than 200m to strengthen its squad, signing major attacking reinforcements including Martinelli, Crysencio Summerville and Ollie Watkins.

Those arrivals joined an overseas contingent that already included Yassine Bounou, Theo Hernandez, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves, among others.

With the club’s foreign-player places under pressure, Al Hilal reportedly informed Benzema that he would not be registered for the domestic competition. His involvement would therefore have been restricted to the Asian Champions League.

That development accelerated discussions over the end of his time at the club, despite Benzema saying on 21 August that he would remain with Al Hilal.

Benzema had signed for the Saudi club less than a year earlier, but he left the squad managed by Simone Inzaghi before the transfer window closed. The report says he had attracted interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab before his contract was terminated, while a possible return to Al-Ittihad was also considered.

His immediate future remains unclear. Although he no longer has a club, the terms of his Saudi arrangement mean that his next decision is still closely connected to the country where he has spent the recent part of his career.

Olympique Lyonnais is understood to be Benzema’s preferred destination. A return to European football, however, remains difficult while his current contractual position has not been resolved.

The coming days are expected to clarify whether Benzema can settle that issue, join another Saudi club or decide that the time has come to retire from football.

Benzema spent much of his formative career at Lyon before moving to Real Madrid, where he established himself as one of the leading forwards of his generation. He later won the Ballon d’Or and joined the Saudi Pro League, but his short spell at Al Hilal has now left uncertainty over how, and where, he will continue his career.