Benzema rejects Al-Shabab as details of Al-Hilal contract dispute emerge

Karim Benzema has rejected the prospect of joining Al-Shabab, despite the club’s interest in signing him as the dispute over his future at Al-Hilal takes a new financial turn.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that Al-Shabab had asked the Saudi Pro League to help facilitate a deal for the experienced France striker after receiving approval to pursue his signing. However, Benzema remains opposed to moving to Al-Shabab, leaving his stance as the main obstacle to the proposed transfer.

Benzema has told Al-Hilal’s management that he wants either to remain with the club or reach a mutual agreement to terminate his contract. In the event of an early departure, he is demanding payment of all the money still owed to him until the scheduled expiry of his deal on 30 June 2027.

The striker is reported to earn $25m (£19m) a year under his direct contract with Al-Hilal. His remaining payments from September until the end of June 2030 are valued at about $20.8m, equivalent to approximately 78.1m Saudi riyals.

Benzema’s financial relationship with Saudi football extends beyond his playing contract with Al-Hilal. Asharq Al-Awsat also reported that he has a separate agreement worth $23m per year, running until 2030 and funded through the Saudi Pro League’s recruitment programme.

That second contract covers Benzema’s role in promoting Saudi football and related events. If it continues until 30 June 2030, the remaining value of those payments would be about 330.6m Saudi riyals.

The agreement also contains a clause preventing Benzema from playing outside Saudi Arabia while it remains active. If he moved to a club outside the country and appeared for that team, the contract would be cancelled immediately.

As a result, a move to another Saudi Pro League club would offer Benzema a contractual advantage because it could allow him to retain the agreement that runs until 2030. Al-Shabab’s interest therefore appeared to provide a possible route forward, but the player has so far refused the idea of joining them.

Before Al-Shabab could complete a move for Benzema, the club would also need to remove English midfielder Josh Brownhill from its squad. The 30-year-old’s departure would be necessary to create room for the French striker.

However, sources continue to identify Benzema’s refusal to wear the Al-Shabab shirt as the biggest difficulty facing the deal. He has also rejected the possibility of being registered only in Al-Hilal’s Asian squad for matches in the AFC Champions League Elite.

The latest developments leave Benzema’s future unresolved. His preferred options remain staying at Al-Hilal or securing a mutually agreed termination with the full value of his outstanding payments, while Al-Shabab’s proposed solution has yet to win his approval.