Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad to sign Benzema on a two-year deal on Wednesday

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad has reached an official agreement with French striker Karim Benzema to sign him on a two-year deal, Saudi media reported on Sunday and the deal will be unveiled next Wednesday. According to Saudi press reports, Anmar Al-Haili, president of the Jeddah Federation, and his deputy, Ahmed Kaaki, are in the Spanish capital, Madrid, for the official signing with Karim Benzema. Real Madrid announced on Sunday the departure of striker Karim Benzema, the winner of the Golden Ball at the end of the season, after terminating his contract by mutual consent, after 14 seasons and a career full of titles, in light of press reports linking him to the move to the Saudi Federation. The 35-year-old Frenchman would continue with the Spanish club for another year after the 2022-2023 season, in which he suffered from injuries and missed the World Cup in Qatar. But he changed his mind after receiving an offer, according to media estimates, of more than 100 million euros ($107.05 million) from Saudi Arabia. Benzema decided to terminate the clause extending his contract for one season to become a free player. "Real Madrid and our captain Benzema have reached an agreement to end his wonderful and memorable period as a player of our club," the club said in a statement. He added, "Benzema's career in Real Madrid was an example of behavior and professionalism and represented the values of our club. Karim Benzema deserved the right to decide his future."