Thursday has been a wild day in regard to the Karim Benzema rumors. First, it was reported that he was leaving Real Madrid but then shortly after, the Frenchman clapped back and essentially said he's yet to make a decision. Well, that decision has now been made. According to Spanish outlet Marca (via Transfer News Live), Benzema is staying at the Bernabeu for one more season.
This is a tad surprising but also not a total shock. Benzema did have a verbal agreement with the club to extend his stay until 2024, but it was never finalized until recently. The ex-Les Bleus star supposedly knows Madrid needs him and is well aware that the offer from Al-Ittihad will be there next summer. It does appear he will accept their lucrative deal in a year's time.
For Madrid fans, this is a delight. Benzema is the heart and soul of this side, spending 14 seasons in Madrid and winning a total of 25 trophies. While Vinicius and Rodrygo are the future, Benzema is still very much an important part of Carlo Ancelotti's attack.
In 23 LaLiga appearances in 2022-23, Karim Benzema scored 18 times and added another four in the Champions League. He was also the leading catalyst in their heroic run to the UCL title last season, bagging 15 goals in the competition.
While injuries played their part in the current campaign, Benzema is still a fantastic player who is capable of hammering the back of the net on a consistent basis. At 35 years old, a move over to the Saudi Pro League in 2024 is by no means a bad idea because, after all, he could join Cristiano Ronaldo and maybe even Lionel Messi in the Middle East as the Kingdom aims to grow the game. Oh, and he'll make around €100 million per year. Not too shabby.
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