Benzema refuses to confirm reports he’s swapping Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia
Karim Benzema has refused to confirm where he will be playing next season as he continues to be linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia.
The Real Madrid legend has been heavily linked with a big-money move to join Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad.
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Spanish outlet AS claim Benzema has been offered a tax-free two-year deal, where he would earn a whopping £86million-per-season.
And they have also reported that he has held talks with ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo about the living conditions in the Gulf nation as well as the standard of the division.
It had even been suggested that the 35-year-old would announce his imminent departure from the Bernabeu in a press conference on Thursday.
However, the France international remained coy on his future, and even hinted that he could continue his 14-year love affair with Real.
Speaking at the Marca Leyenda ahead of Sunday’s clash against Athletic Bilbao, he has been quoted saying by Fabrizio Romano: “Stay or leave Real Madrid?
“At the moment, I’m here… we have a game on Saturday.”
He added: “Speak to Madrid fans? Speak about what? Why speaking of the future if I’m in Madrid?
“Who’s speaking is [on the] internet. The reality is NOT [the] internet.”
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Expressing his love for Real and the club’s supporters, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner remarked: “I am very proud of my career. I remember when I signed here at Real.
“I was a boy, 21 years old. I was only thinking about enjoying and winning trophies and in the end, I see that I have won a lot with Real Madrid.”
He added: “I was a kid, with a dream to play for Real Madrid one day. I know how much Real Madrid fans love me. It means a lot.
“I feel that when I’m on the pitch. I give my best for them, always. A message to the fans? One, two, three, Hala Madrid.”
Should Benzema depart Real this summer, he would leave as their second highest goalscorer in history.
Only Ronaldo [450] has found the back of the net more times than Benzema [353].
And Benzema, who who has won 24 major trophies with Real, has also made the fifth most amount of appearances for the club [647].