SAUDI ARABIA
Al Ittihad reportedly angry with Karim Benzema’s behaviour, Premier League clubs keen
Reports suggest that the Saudi side are unhappy with Benzema, who has various English teams said to be keen on signing him.
Karim Benzema is still in the eye of the hurricane. Despite the fact that the French forward joined back up with the rest of his teammates on January 18 for Al Ittihad’s pre-season preparations after his disappearing act over Christmas, reports suggest that the club will hold a meeting to discuss his behaviour.
The player, depending on how things go, could even see his contract terminated, with both the Premier League sides and his ex-team Lyon reportedly interested in approaching the player should things go south in Saudi.
Al Ittihad not performing - Champions League place a distant dream
His form on the pitch also fails to help the situation for the current Saudi Pro League champion. The side - Karim included - qualified easily for the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League but their disappointing performance in the FIFA Club World Cup against Egyptian side Al Ahly left a lot of room for improvement.
At the time of writing, Benzema’s side sit 7th in the division, a whopping 25 points off league leaders Al Hilal. Marcelo Gallardo’s arrival to the bench after Nuno Espírito Santo’s dismissal has also failed to improve the side’s form. It must be remembered that only the top three sides in the division get a ticket to the continental competition for the following season, something that Al Ittihad see as fundamental if they are to grow their brand along with the league as a whole.
Benzema is losing the fans, who want to bring in Salah
Benzema was the biggest bet that those in charge of Al Ittihad made over the summer, with the Saudis managing to prize the then-Ballon d’Or holder away from the Santiago Bernabéu.
However, despite his promising numbers on paper, with 12 goals and 5 assists in 20 games, the Frenchman is not having the desired impact on the pitch. When he plays, more is desired by both that are fans and management. Added to that are the problems with his behaviour, which only accentuate the subpar performances on the pitch.
His repeated absences also contribute to the supposed lack of commitment, and this is turning the fans against him, who are now looking at the Premier League’s Mohamed Salah as a possible signing. His clashes with Nuno Espírito Santo caused the coach to depart and now, 17 days later, it could well be the Frenchman who seeks pastures new, be it in Lyon or the Premier League, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all waiting in the wings.