Benzema dropped from Al Ittihad squad

Having been removed from the Al Ittihad squad by coach Marcelo Gallardo for arriving late, striker Karim Benzema immediately asked to leave Saudi Arabia and is rumored to be heading to Man Utd.

Benzema returned to training 17 days late after his winter break, reportedly because of Storm Belal which left him stranded in Mauritius. The French striker enjoyed a holiday with his ex-wife Chloe de Launay in the East African country, and was unable to catch a flight to Abu Dhabi, UAE - where Al Ittihad is based.

However, coach Marcelo Gallardo still left Benzema out of the squad. The 36-year-old striker had to train alone, while his teammates prepared for the second phase of the Saudi Pro League.

According to French newspaper L'Équipe , Benzema has expressed his desire to leave Al Ittihad to restart his career elsewhere. The 36-year-old striker was offered a loan move to another Saudi Pro League club, but turned it down.

Benzema during a training session at Al Ittihad. Photo: AFP — Benzema during a training session at Al Ittihad. Photo: *AFP*

Also according to L'Équipe , Benzema admitted that he could not show his best form due to criticism and pressure from fans and experts, so he firmly decided to leave the Middle East to return to Europe to restart his career. The 2022 Golden Ball also admitted that he "could not devote his full potential to Al Ittihad".

Chelsea and Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Benzema's situation at Al Ittihad, while Lyon are also interested in bringing the striker back to Ligue 1. Benzema is also rumoured to be heading to Man Utd to solve Erik ten Hag's short-term attacking problems, with Rasmus Hojlund, Antony, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford playing inconsistently, and Jadon Sancho returning to Dortmund on loan.

Legendary Andy Cole backed the deal, saying that if he had the power, he would have signed Benzema even if he only trained with Man Utd for one session. Cole also regretted the French striker leaving Real, where he won four La Ligas and five Champions Leagues, because of his huge salary in the Saudi Pro League.

"Can Benzema shine in the Premier League at his age? Absolutely," Cole added. "Look at the way Benzema looks after himself. If there's a chance, Man Utd should try to sign him."

Al Ittihad are the reigning Saudi Pro League champions. They signed Benzema in the summer for a salary of around $200 million a year, the same as Cristiano Ronaldo was paid at Al Nassr. However, things have not been smooth sailing since then. Benzema scored 15 goals in 24 games, but fell out with coach Nuno Santo. On November 7, Al Ittihad had to fire Santo and hire former River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo to replace him.

Al Ittihad have since gone from bad to worse. They are currently seventh with 28 points, 25 behind leaders Al Hilal. The Saudis also lost 3-1 to Al Ahly in the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup, where Benzema missed a penalty. The 36-year-old has been criticised for his poor form, leading to his decision to close his Instagram account, which had 76 million followers.

Hong Duy

Source link