Karim Benzema will leave LaLiga giants Real Madrid when his contract expires this month to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, ESPN reports.
It was reported this week that Benzema was offered a two-year contract worth €400 million to move to Saudi in January.
Benzema has spent 14 seasons at the Bernabeu, becoming the club’s second-highest goalscorer and winning five Champions Leagues, four LaLiga titles and the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
The 35-year-old Benzema had been expected to stay at Madrid for one more season until June 2024, but has opted instead to accept a new challenge.
Madrid are in advanced talks to sign Joselu on loan to replace Mariano Diaz but they will look for someone else to bolster the attack.
Despite an injury-hit campaign, Benzema still scored 18 goals in 23 LaLiga appearances, as well as four goals in the Champions League knockout stage.
He joined Madrid from Lyon in 2009 and will leave having won a total of 24 trophies: four LaLiga titles, five Champions Leagues, three Copas del Rey, three Spanish Supercopas, four UEFA Super Cups and five FIFA Club World Cups.
His 353 Real Madrid goals — more than club legends such as Raul Gonzalez and Alfredo di Stefano — are only surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s all-time record scorer, with 450.
He retired from international football in December following France’s World Cup final defeat to Argentina, having been left out of his country’s squad by coach Didier Deschamps after failing to recover from injury in time for the start of the tournament.
