Reports have circulated in recent days about Benfica’s interest in signing Karim Benzema during the upcoming winter transfer window. The controversy has recently intensified, with Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese club’s coach, coming out and denying it completely.
Benzema’s contract with Al-Ittihad expires next summer, and reports indicate that the Saudi club is willing to let him go next winter for just €7 million, while Mourinho hopes to reunite with the Real Madrid legend.
Special One responded to these rumors, stressing that they are baseless. He said, “The last thing Benzema could be looking for at this stage is a return to European football, especially to a team like ours.”
He added, “He is currently happy in Saudi Arabia. He has won titles, and his financial situation is ideal and enviable. When you leave top-level European football at this age for the Saudi league, the goal is not to return.”
He continued, “If we’re talking about young players leaving for various reasons and then returning two or three years later while they’re still at a good age, that’s possible. But for players like Karim? No, I think it’s impossible.”
He concluded, “I haven’t raised this issue with anyone within the club, but I can say with confidence that it’s completely unlikely. I don’t even understand how Karim’s name was brought up in this context.”
It’s worth noting that Benzema only played one match for Al-Ittihad at the start of the season, then got injured. He is expected to return against Al-Nassr on Friday, at a time when the club’s crises are escalating with constant talk about the possibility of sacking coach Laurent Blanc.
