Karim Benzema has completed a controversial switch from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal, marking a bitter blow for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo went on strike for Al-Nassr’s trip to Al-Riyadh on Monday as he was reportedly furious with their lack of spending on transfers.
It is therefore a sucker punch that Al-Hilal – who are leading the Saudi Pro League by a single point over Al-Nassr – have been allowed to sign one of his greatest allies from his Real Madrid days.
The key context in all of this is that all three clubs, as well as Al-Ahli, are majority controlled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Ronaldo has reportedly been aggrieved that Al-Hilal have a net spend £180million higher than that of his own team since the 2022-23 season, when he arrived.
They are on course to hoover up a second league title in three years while Ronaldo remains without a major trophy in the Middle East.
After Monday’s match, Al-Nassr’s chiefs banned manager Jorge Jesus or any players from speaking out amid the tense situation onset by Ronaldo’s protests, as per Portuguese outlet A Bola.
It all marks a worrying shift for Saudi football bosses after a gluttonous few years in which they have been able to get their way with some of the sport’s biggest stars.
Ronaldo, who aged 40 is on a contract worth £488,000 per day, is said by A Bola to be unhappy with how Saudi Arabia’s PIF have handled Al-Nassr’s finances.
The worst-case scenario for them is that Ronaldo leaves before his contract expires in 2027. In December, he hinted that he could finish his career elsewhere, saying: ‘my passion is high and I want to continue.
‘It doesn’t matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe.’
Meanwhile, Benzema’s case is a startling example of the Saudi moneybags being told to reach deeper into their pockets by one of their prized players.
ESPN reported that the 38-year-old trained away from the group at Al-Ittihad in protest over an ‘insulting’ contract extension offer on Thursday last week.
He removed himself from the matchday squad which drew 2-2 at Al-Fateh last week, and within four days he has become an Al-Hilal player.
The striker had moved to Al-Ittihad in 2023 in a blockbuster deal that put his salary at a not-so-insulting £1.61million per week – or just over £230,000 per day.
Is football becoming all about money at the expense of loyalty?
Comment now
Curiously, the Benzema is believed to have accused the club of making him ‘play for free’ at the start of the contract, with the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner only able to profit from his image rights.
Elsewhere, N’Golo Kante is closing in on a move from Al-Ittihad to Fenerbahce, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The midfielder, 34, is thought on around £21.6m per year in Saudi Arabia but Turkey has become increasingly alluring for stars of all ages.
Turkey’s major clubs now boast some huge names including Victor Osimhen, Jhon Duran, Leroy Sane, and Ederson.
