After 14 years of glory at Real Madrid, Karim Benzema has decided to join Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad on a three-year contract that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the world.
The French striker will earn a staggering net salary of nearly €200 million per season, including commercial deals, according to sources close to the deal.
Benzema agreed to end his contract with Real Madrid one year early, allowing him to move to Al-Ittihad, where he will reunite with his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January.
“I’m excited to start a new challenge with Al Ittihad. They have a good league and many quality players,” Benzema said.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is here already, he is a friend who shows that Saudi Arabia is progressing and I’m here to win as I did in Europe.”
Benzema had a remarkable career at Real Madrid, scoring 354 goals in all competitions. He is the second-highest scorer in the club’s history, behind only Ronaldo. He also won 25 trophies with Real Madrid, including five UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga championships.
