Sensational Benzema: Al-Hilal want to offload him after just six months – what is happening

Karim Benzema Al-Hilal 2026

The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner is at the centre of a truly surreal transfer situation

The fate of many players who have moved to the Saudi Pro League in recent years is a curious one. Even the biggest names haven't been spared, including former Real Madrid centre-forward Karim Benzema (2022 Ballon d'Or), currently on the books at Al-Hilal but on a collision course with his club over the transfer strategy of the side managed by Simone Inzaghi.

Al-Hilal’s position

According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Al-Hilal’s senior management have also reportedly told the French forward he needs to find a new club to free up wage space for new signings. After prising former West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville away from Roma for €80 million, the Saudi side want to keep investing heavily to sign another attacking player. Bayern Munich’s Colombian Luis Diaz is said to be the dream target, but Al-Hilal want to finalise some departures before moving in the market.

Benzema stands firm

Over recent days, the highest-profile name to keep surfacing is former Liverpool player Darwin Nunez, who has been linked with Besiktas and other European clubs. Alongside him, Karim Benzema is no longer seen as untouchable either, despite having arrived from Al-Ittihad only six months ago and, in that time, played 13 matches, scored 9 goals and provided 5 assists. Al-Hilal’s hierarchy are also said to have already put several solutions to him, without success. Among them was a move to another team in the Saudi league (including a recently promoted side), but the 1987-born five-time Champions League winner has turned them down.

Super salary

Benzema intends to see out the contract that runs until 30 June 2027 and wants to keep earning the stratospheric €50 million salary he secured when he joined from Al-Ittihad, the club he had decided to leave after two and a half years there, having arrived from Real Madrid in the summer of 2023, because he was pushing for a pay rise as close as possible to Cristiano Ronaldo's, with Ronaldo the highest-paid player in the Saudi Pro League.