As per a report by Marca, Real Madrid striekr Karim Benzema has declined an offer to play with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. The Frenchman’s contract with Los Blancos is set to expire in the coming months.
Los Blancos have resumed normal operations since he returned to form, most recently defeating Barcelona 4-0 away at Camp Nou. Since his getting back to form, Real Madrid have come back to normalcy, most recently defeating Barcelona 4-0 away at Camp Nou. They are also doing well in the UEFA Champions League wherein they are set to play Chelsea in the first leg of the quarter-finals.
However, following their 2-3 loss to Villarreal this weekend, their league title aspirations are almost over mostly due to the now to be 15 points gap with leaders Barcelona who are scheduled to play Girona late night on Monday.
Benzema reportedly had the opportunity to join a top club in Saudi Arabia with a lucrative deal that included an academy in his name. His former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo is currently playing for Al Nassr in the Middle East. Despite the tempting offer, the Frenchman has reportedly declined to take up the proposal.
However, the former Olympique Lyon star has not totally blown away the possibility of playing in Arabia. Although he has ruled out joining the league this coming season, he is tempted to join the Asian league post 2024 when he would have at least played 15 seasons for Madrid where he has till date won 24 titles.
Benzema is considered as one of the most successful players in Real Madrid’s history and is their second-highest all-time goal scorer, behind Ronaldo. In 637 appearances for the club, he has scored 348 goals. Ronaldo, who left for Juventus in 2018, scored an astonishing 450 goals in just 438 matches for Los Blancos.
The decision to turn down this offer comes as no surprise, given Benzema’s strong loyalty to Real Madrid. The 34-year-old has been with the Spanish club for over a decade now and has become an integral part of their success over the years.
