According to a report from Sky Sports News, a proposed move for Karim Benzema (38) from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal has reportedly fallen through. The former France national team striker has been in disagreement with his current club over a contract extension, asL’Équipe reported last night that the former Lyon and Real Madrid forward could join the fellow Saudi outfit. However, the deal is reportedly entangled in a broader standoff within Saudi football. Turkish and Saudi media claim that several interconnected transfers involving Saudi and Süper Lig clubs have been temporarily frozen, amid opposition from Cristiano Ronaldo’s camp. The proposed chain reaction would have seen Benzema move to Al-Hilal, N’Golo Kanté join Fenerbahçe, and Youssef En-Nesyri reinforce Al-Ittihad.Elsewhere, Juventus have made exploratory contact to assess the feasibility of a European return for Benzema, though no concrete progress has been made. Al-Hilal are meanwhile reshaping their attack following Marcos Leonardo’s departure to Atlético de Madrid.GFFN | George Boxall
