French striker Karim Benzema may be close to leaving Saudi football or, at the very least, Al-Hilal.
According to the Spanish newspaper As, the player is in talks to terminate his contract with Neymar’s former club after being informed that he is not part of coach Simone Inzaghi’s plans.
Financial deadlock
The termination is considered complex. In the initial talks, Benzema demanded to receive in full the salaries corresponding to the final year of his contract. The possibility was promptly ruled out by Al-Hilal and the Saudi League, which also needs to approve the deal because it covers part of the player’s wages.
Possible replacement
With the star’s possible departure, the Saudi club’s board is already scanning the market and has shown interest in English striker Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa, according to European media reports.
Record at the club
Signed by Al-Hilal at the start of this year (2026) on a deal running until June 2027, Benzema posted good numbers in his short spell: he scored 10 goals and provided 9 assists in just 14 matches.
Before joining Al-Hilal, the French striker played for rivals Al-Ittihad during the 2023/24 season, shortly after ending his historic 14-year spell at Real Madrid.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.