Karim Benzema Could Quit Real Madrid for €200M Deal at New Club

• Karim Benzema signed a one-year extension to stay at Real Madrid for another year
• The Frenchman has received a major offer to move to the Saudi Arabian Pro League
• Real Madrid are reportedly not ready to allow Benzema to leave despite the interest

Real Madrid superstar, Karim Benzema could be on his way to Saudi Arabia - if recent reports are anything to go by.

The 35-year-old signed a one-year contract extension to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium last season, but is also said to have received a €200 million offer to the Middle East.

The current Ballon d'Or holder has had a hit-and-miss season as Los Blancos have only won one of the three trophies they were vying for, along with the Club World Cup.

Real Madrid lost the La Liga title to Barcelona, while they were defeated by Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals.

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Benzema, who has played for the White Angels for 14 years, may quit the team this summer, per Relevo.

Tribuna reported the forward is close to joining Al-Ittihad and would be the second big-name signing to move to Saudi Arabia if he accepted the deal, following former Madrid man, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese star moved to Al-Nassr in January after leaving Manchester United.

When Benzema joined Real Madrid

As reported by Daily Mail, Benzema signed for the 14-time European champions in 2009 from Lyon, and has gone on to achieve countless accolades in the Spanish capital.

Despite spending spells on the sidelines due to injuries, the Frenchman has scored 30 goals and provided six assists in 42 matches across all competitions.

Benzema is Los Blancos’ second-highest goal-scorer ever, only behind Ronaldo himself.

Figo backs Benzema for Ballon d’Or

Meanwhile, Luis Figo has tipped Real Madrid forward, Benzema to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or award as he insists the Frenchman has had a good season, Daily Post reports.

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The 35-year-old forward won the prestigious gong last year over the likes of Sadio Mane and Kevin de Bruyne, after leading Real Madrid to the Champions League title.

Benzema is believed to be among the top contenders for the 2023 Ballon d’Or award, alongside national teammate, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Lionel Messi.

Benzema laments Ballon d'Or criteria

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Real Madrid forward, Benzema had expressed his disappointment regarding the recent subjective criteria employed in selecting the season's best player.

The Frenchman, who claimed the coveted individual accolade following an outstanding season last year, suggested the current format primarmily emphasises goals over other contributions.

It remains to be seen if the Ballon d’Or awarding committee will tweak the criteria required to clinch the award or if the winner will once again be whoever finds the back of the net most.